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FRONTISPIECE— See Page 13.

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JACK'S STORY

AS TOLD BY HIMSELF.

By a L. V.

NEW YORK:
BOARD OP PUBLICATION R. 0. A.

1872.

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THE i,- .-....:
PUBLIC LiBRAPvY

TILDEN FOUNDATIOi\S
R 1926 L

Entered according to Act of C-ongrese, in tlie year 1872, by

WILLIAM FERRIS, Agent,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

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II^TRODUOTION.

I (
\

THIS Btory was told me by Jack. I give
it to you, as far as possible, in bis words.
I do not think that I could write, or you could
understand, what he says, without some verbal
alteration. I feel quite sure that I hare given
you exactly Jack's thoughts ; and if I were to
say to him, " Jack, is this just what you told
me about yourself?" he would reply to my
question :

"Yes, that is my story exactly as I told
you I "

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JACK'S STORY

AS TOLD BY HIMSELF.

CHAPTER I.

THE first time I went to Sunday school,
I didn't think I should like it, for I
had generally spent my Sundays in playing
about the streets; but I heard that boys in
Sunday school got oranges and candies, and
sometimes a present for Christmas. So just
before Christmas I thought I'd go. They
put me in a class with a very pleasant-looking
young lady for a teacher; the boys called
her Miss Gibson. She seemed so kind that
it made me happy just to look at her. I'm
glad that they did not put me under such
a sober-faced woman as the teacher I saw in

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6 JA.CK'B 8T0EY

the next class. Though I was the poorest-
dressed boy among them, and sold papers
for a living (and have a hard time at that),
she spoke jtist as pieasaiat to v^e as tc^ the
boy that had on a blue neck-tie, and wore a
watch. I told her I'd give h^r a Herald for
nothing next day ; she said she'd give me a
paper that same day (not to be outdone, I
suppose). Her paper had pictures in it; a
sort of Sunday Illustrated Harper or Frank
Leshe it looked like, and I was just as much
obliged to her as if I could read it ; but then
I could not read a word. Miss Gibson told
the boys things which soilnded very queer to
me, and which I didn't liink were right, for
I'd n^ver h^ird the like before. She was
talkiilg to th^ boys about Christ forgiving our
sins, I'd always heard the Priest does that,
and then she spoke about the example Christ
has s^t uB, and she turtied to me, and said
she: "Jack, if a boy Were unkind to you,
how ought you to treat hiiii ?" " Knock him
down," says I, and then the other fellows

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AS TOIiD.BY mMSBLF. 7

laughed. I thotight it was because, being so
small for my age, they thought I couldn't
do it, so I spei^ up right quick, " I could do
it, too," says I. Miss Gibson laughed. I
(Suppose she thought me a right smart boy,
but what do you think she said ? Says she,
" Jack, if a boy doe^ an unkind thing to you,
/think it would be better to try and do dome
kindness to him, and see how that would
make him feel." " But he don't deserve it,
ma'am," says I, "No, Jack, he may not
deserve it, but we don't deserve the good
things that God is all the time giving to us,
and yet He is so good to us and so kind, and
if we want to be like Jesus, we must be kind
to every one, no matter how they treat us."
"I don't want to be like Jesus," days I ; " I
don't want folks to kick me, and I not kick
back again; why ma'am, when Pat MoUoy
gives me a poke in the ribs, you surely
wouldn't have nie give him a good word for
such treatment?" "Yes, Jack^" says she,
^^ that } would, and then ^oti nlay depend

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8 JACK 8 STOBT

upon it, Pat Molloy would be sorry he had
given you the poke." "Not a bit of it,
ma'am," says I, " he*d think I was afraid of
him, and that that was the reason I didn't
beat him. I know Fat better than you do."
She laughed again such a pleasant laugh, not
a bit offended at me, d'ye see, for speaking
so plain, and not a bit inclined to pujt on a
long face, and think me so wicked, but she
goes on in the same cheery way, and says she,
" Suppose Pat does laugh at you, and call you
names, and make fun of you, our dear Sav-
iour was treated worse than that, yet he never
turned with angry words back upon the
people who did it I think. Jack, it would
be easier to give Pat Molloy a good kick than
to bear quietly the hard names he would call
you ; and if you mean that you are something
of a coward, and are afraid lest he might call
you hard names, if you don't whip him, why
don't you say so? " I was just taken aback,
for I'd never had it put to me in that light
before. *^ I think, ma'am," says I, " it would

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 9

be a deal easier to give him a good licking
than to stand still, and have him liok me."
" So you are not brave enough to try to do
the hardest thing, is that it?" says she. I
didn't know what to say ; this was all new to
me ; in all the days of my life I'd never heard
folks talk that way before. " I think, ma'am,"
says I, " fighting comes kind of natural. My
father, when he was alive, and we all lived
home, used to whip us all round, just to keep
his hand in. And Mike O'Flaherty, he and
his wife are fighting and beating each other
and the children all the time. All the folks
in our alley fight and get put in the station-
house. And the policemen, they knock the
rest over the head, and that answers as well
as fighting for them. And all the rich folks,
they are trained to fight as soldiers. It seems
to me as soon as one war is over, another is
begun. Now some other parties are fighting,
and that helps us poor boys seU the papers,
for whenever there's a fresh battle, Tom Carter
reads it for me, and tells me what to call out,

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10 JACK'S 8T0KT

and I s^ twice as many papers ; so I thinK
it's a good thing."

'^ It is not what our Saviour tanght, Jack,"
says she ; " he wants us to be good to all, e^
peciidly to those who treat us unkindly."

I couldn't take that in. Thinks I, that may
do very w^ll for Sunday schools and foi* girls,
but it seems to me I'd feel mighty like a
sneak, if I'd 1^ a fellow orack me over the
head, and I not give him as much back ; and
yet I thought over what she had said would
be the hardest to do, and I couldn't but own
it would take a braver boy than I to take up
with the names the fellows would call you if
you didn't fight.

The whole matter was a puzzle to me, and I
thought over it as I walked home ; indeed I
got so full of it, that I didn't look where I
was walking, and suddenly turning round a
comer of the street, I run right against a fel-
low, and who should it be but Pat Molloy
himself. We come so quick upon each other,
that we both feU. I thought he'd done H on

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AS TOhD BY HIMSELF. 11

purpose, and lie thouglit the same of me; so,
of (ioarse, we came to blows. A pretty stiff
fight we had, with all the boys in the street
shouting at us to go at it. Pat has the hard-
est fist eter you felt, tod I am plucky if I am
small, so we both stuck at it until We saw a
policeman coiiiing, and then we up aiid ran.
I felt sore enough when I got hotae. I was
pounded and bruised all over. One eye was
all black and swollen, and my no6e was bleed-
ing. "I'd like to kn6w if Miss Gibson means
me to treat a fellow well who makes me feel ad
I do now," thinks I. I was laid up for a
while. The next day I couldn't walk. Biddy
Flaherty, from the ne^ room, said if I'd only
take a good glass of whiskey, I'd feel better;
but somehow I didn't like whiskey. My poor
mother, when she died, says to me, "Jack,
never taste a drop ; it's the ruin of soul and
body." I knew she was thinking of my
father, who died of it, so I've determined to
mind her words, for she was about the only
one ever was good to me ; and somehow, when

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12 jack's stoby

Miss Gibson looked at me so kind and pleas-
ant in the Sunday school, I couldn't help
thinking of my poor mother. I was feeling
BO wretched that I didn't go out for a week ;
for having not much to eat all that time, I
felt sort of poorly and not able to stand up.
I concluded not to go to Sunday school any
more, for I didn't believe in their ways of
thinking. Not give it to Pat Molloy ? You
bet I would the next time I'd catch him I
Yet for all, as I lay all day long and all night
long alone on the heap of straw I called my
bed, I'd keep thinking of Miss Gibson, and
wished she'd come in and sit beside me, as my
poor mother used to do years ago. And I
couldn't help thinking how lonesome I was in
the world.

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AS TOLD BT HDISBLF. 18

CHAPTER II.

A BOUT two weeks after tliis, as I was
J-TjL selling papers along the street, calling,
at the top of my voice, for somehow I felt
weak yet, " Herald ! Tribune ! Times ! Her-
ald, sir ? Times, sir ? " two lads came running
along; they were playing; one was chasing
the other. Eich men's sons they were; I
could see it with half an eye. The largest of
the two ran smack against my arm as I held
out a Tribune to a gentleman going the other
way. Down fell all my papers, and slid off
into the gutter, fiill of slush and melting,
dirty snow. " You meant it, you did," says
I; "it was done on purpose." And I up
with my fist and gave him the hardest blow
on his cheek I guess he'd ever had. I was
preparing to give hun another, when a police-
man I hadn't seen caught me by the arm, and
gave me such a shaking, that I felt as if my

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14 jack's b^'oey

breath was clean gone. " You little fighting
rascal I do I catch you at your old tricks ? "
says he. " It waa all my fault, Mr. Johnson/'
says the boy to the policeman. " 'Twasn't,"
says the other boy. " Take him up, Mr. John-
son ! arrest him ! he's a good-for-nothing vag-
abond. The impud^^t ja(^anq.pe6 ! to treat a
gentleman's son that way. See, Charley's face
is swelling already ! " ^* Please don't talk so,"
says the fellow I had struck ; " leave him to
me, Mr. Johnson. Poor lad, I fear I've
spoiled all his papers. Come, let us pick
them up. What's your name?" "Jack,'*
says I. He gathered up all my papers, and
put the dry ones in one pile and the wet ones
in another. " There, Jack," says he, " there is
fifty cents' worth that I've spoiled for you.
I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it. I've got
but ten centp in my pocket ; you come home
with me and I'll give you the mo»ey." I
looked at the boy in perfect amazement.
There was his face already beginning to swell
from the blow I tad given him, and he telling

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AS TOLD BY UIMSKLF. 15

me he would pay for inj papers that had
rolled into the guttw. Somehow I couldn't
understand it. Presently I heard Pat Mol-
loy's voice in the crowd of street boys that
had gathered behind us. Says he, " Dont yer
go, Jack, he's a goin' to nab yer and shet yer
up I " Somehow that seemed to me so much
more natural, that I up with my fist, for he
had sent away the policeman, and was about to
give him another blow. I had thought my-
self a great fighter, and that I was pretty
strong ; but if you believe me, the boy just
took hold both my wrists, and held me so
firm that I couldn't budge an inch. Then he
looked me right fiill in the face, and I declare
he looked just like Hi^s Gibson. He had just
her eyes, and when he spoke, it was just with
her pleasant voice. "Jack," says he, *'I'm
sorry you don't believe me." The anger
seemed to go right out of me. I gave right
up. "Yes, I do," says I. He let go my
wrists, and I followed him just as a dog fol-
lows his master. He carried my papers, and

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I followed close behind him. He led me iuto
the basement of a large and handsome house ;
he laid the papers on the table, and made me
count them, to see how many were spoiled
and missing. Then he went up stairs and
brought me the money for the exact number
that I had said were lost. " I am sorry, Jack,
that I have so far interfered with your morn-
ing's work," he said, " but I hope you will do
well. If you don't feel satisfied with what I
have given you, say so." It was not so much
the words, as the tone and the kind look he
gave me, which made me feel very bad, par-
ticularly as I looked up and saw how his face
was swelling from the Mow I had given him.
" Take back the money, sir," says I ; " the
face I've given you is worth more than that ;
take it back." " No, lad, no," says he, " you'll
want it to buy a fresh stock to-morrow." So
he let me out of the basement door, and I
don't think I ever felt so mean in my life.

The next day when I bought the morning
papers, thinks I, I'll give him the very first

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A8 TOLD BY HIM8BLF. 17

paper. So I ran on fast as I could, and
pulled the bell. " Here," says I, as the door
opened, "give this Times to the lad I hurt
yesterday." Looking up, who should it be in
the doorway but Miss Gibson herself. " Why
Jack ! " says she, " was it you who gave my
brother such a blow yesterday?" 1 looked
ashamed, I'm sure, for I felt so, but she did
not look angry, as I thought she would, and
as does Ann Molloy, when I've been giv-
ing Pat a beating. But she looked right
in my eyes, and her face was kind of sad and
troubled. "If I had known he was your
brother, Miss, I shouldn't have done it," says
I, " for you're the only one ever speaks kind
to me ;" and I felt like crying, for I was kind
of weak and cold and hungry, but I wouldn't
have let any one see me cry for anything.
Pat Molloy had so often called me a cry-baby
that I didn't dare to cry any more, no matter
how I felt. She laid her hand on my shoul-
der, and as I looked up, there were tears in
her beautiful eyes, as she stood looking at my

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18 jack's stuby

dirty, bruised fac^, my tliin, torn jacket and
stifl^ red, cold hands. " Come in and get
some breakfast, J«.ck," she said. She took
me into the kitchen, and stood by Tyhile the
cook poured out some coffee for me, and piled
up npiy plat^ with ^Qt cakes. 01;i 1 how huflh
gry 5 vaB. I doi;i'<; think anything u\ the
world ever tasted, bo. pice as that breakfast I
" O Hiss Gibspp," I says, as the thought ^ud-
dei^ly came oyer we, " this, i^ what you Bo^es^nt
by doiog good to those ^ho don't tre^t you
wellj ien't itl Q, I am so sorry I treated
your brother so, I don't deserve this breakfast,
indeed, Misa, I dpn't 1 " " You fe^l a gre^t
deal more sorry than if my brother had beaten
you in return, don't you ? " " Yes, I dp.
Miss Gibson — and — and — I believe now I be-
gin to understand better what you said to me
in Sunday school. I tidnk I'U never do so
again to your brother or a,ny one like hirn,
and I'U do all I can for you, ma'am ; ypu just
try me, and see if I won't, because you did
return good for evil ; but I can't ^t after this

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AS T9I<I> ^K «||iieELP. 19

fashion to Pat Molloy, indeed, miss, I can't ; I
must beat him every time he beats me." " O
Jack," saya Jlisa Cribson, '^I'm soirry to hear
you say so, for the Bible teaches us our duty
plainly. Listen to this xeT^^-r-fli any man
have a qua»i:rel against wy;. even aa Christ
forgave you, so also do y^' " '^ fat wouldn't
understand such ^tions," saya I. " You 'v©
never tried liim," says the lady, " W^U, Y}\
try him for your sake, miss," says J. " No,
Jack, not for my s^e, but for Jwl^' sakc^^
It seemed hard for me to pronwse. J didn^'tj
know much ^ut J^x^, an<i X didn't Iqy^
him, but I did lov9 the ]pnd lady aB4 hep
brother who'd been ^ good to W9. To please
her I said I'd try, but I didn't m^oh tJmk I -
could.

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CHAPTER III.

I WENT about my work as usual that day.
I felt good-natured, for I kept thinking
about what Miss Gibson had said, and thinks
I, I'll be good, and that will please her. I
think that I might have got along for a week
without feeling angry ; only t)ne day coming
down-staurs I met Ann MoUoy. "Why, is
that you ? " says Ann, " Pat said the Perlice-
men had nabbed ye, and ye wus locked up."
"What business has he to say so?" says I,
feeling very angry, for Ann has always such
hateful ways, and sticks out her finger at you
in such a sneering, provoking manner, it
makes me mad just to come near her. Then
she laughed out loud, and runs down the steps
ahead of me. " Here's Jack got out at last I "
says she to Pat who is sitting on the curb-
stone. " Hullo, young un 1 " calls Pat to me,
and seeing that I was preparing to run past

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AS TOLD BY IJIM8ELF. 21

hiiu, he stretches out his hand, and catches
me by the leg. Down I fell. All the boys
laughed. My first tliought was to knock Pat
down, for I was angry enough, but it suddenly
came into my mind that this was the very
chance of being good, which I'd looked for all
the week. So I stops short. Now's your
time, my man, says I to myself, and I held
steady a minute so as to get sure of myself ;
then I turns to Pat, and says I, " You hadn't
ought to do so, I wasn't hurting you 1 "
"Come, fight it out," says Pat. '^No," says
I, "I'U not fight." " You think I kin beat
yer I " says he. Here I began to feel mad
enough to go straight at it, but up spoke Tom
Carter. " You needn't talk that way, Pat
MoUoy," says he, " if Jack is little, he can
figlit you, any way, you big bully ; don't you
mind what he says. Jack — ^you go on, sell your
papers." I didn't wait, for I was afraid if I
staid longer I might begin to quarrel. So
away I ran, and soon I was out of sight of
the alley and all the boys who were watching

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25 JA&k's h'rokt

me there. I 6old all my pap6i»s. When 1
got home that night, 1 met Ann Molloycry-
ing on the door-step, " O Jack, is that you i "
says she, for it was a mighty dark alley We
lived in. "What's the matter!" asks L
" O, Pat's fell and broke his leg ; Mike O'Fla-
herty carried him up-stairs, but I'm Yraid to
stay up there, he moans so ; I'm 'fraid he 'b
dyin' — Oh I Oh ! " and she shriekfed and
howled as if she was era^y. I ran up to
Mike's room, atid there, fcure enough, lay
Pat. I looked at him ; thinks I, he is dying
sure enough. I raised him up, and got some
water for him, but I didn't know what elsd to
do. He looked so white, and he couldn't
spea;k. I took some of my own penniedj and
ran out, and bought an orange for him ; 1
really didn't know what I'd best do. Mike
and his wife were both out; I knew well
enough she must be drunk somewhere. After
a while Pat opened his eyes. He looked at
me. I could just hear him as he said, " Stay
by me." All night I staid alone with Pat.

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AS TdLD BY HIMSELF. 23

lie was in the top room of the house. I
could see the stars through the brokeil win-
dow, and I wondered if Pat should die^
whether he would go up there among the
slars, and I wondered if my poor mother wafe
Up there. I cut up the orange with my jack-
knife, and glBive him a piece from time to time-,
for he seettied thirsty ; but before morning I
fell ^leep. Tb& sun shone in my face, wheii
I awoke. Pat W&s in a high fevei*^ and as I
sat looking at him, aild wondering what was
best to be doiife, Ann pushed open the door,
and came in. '* Why didn't you cotitie and
take cJire of him before ? " says I. " I was
afraid," says she. "Now yon come here
and ^it very stilly and I'll go out and see
what can be doiie ; now mind, Anh, you must
keep very still," says I, and I went softly
down stairs. Wheii I reached the street, I
really didn't know what to do next. The
policeman had so often called me " a lying
rascal," and a " fighting cock," and all sorts
of names, and cracked me over the head and

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24 JACK S 8T0BT

about the legs, that I was afraid of him. I
thought, at last, I would go and ask Miss
Gibson what I ought to do. She was very-
kind, she always is. She seemed pleased that
I had tried to take care of Pat. " Don't you
feel better now. Jack, than if you had quar-
reled and been fighting with him ?" she asked.
" Yes, miss, indeed I do," I answered, " and
he like to die ; why miss, suppose he should
die, I'd always have it in mind that the last
time we ever were together we had a fight."
Miss Gibson promised to speak to her father
about having Pat taken to the hospital ; and
she said that her brother would go to see him,
and perhaps she would go herself. All that
she promised she did. Pat was taken to the
hospital. I went to see him as often as I
could, and I always found he had something
nice which Miss Gibson had sent him. Pat
was more hurt than we thought ; he had a rib
broken as well as a leg, and he didn't seem to
get better. He coughed very badly, and
somehow he began to look v^ry white and

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AS TOLD BY HDIBELF. 25

thin. Miss Gibson had him moved to the
house of a very nice woman whom she paid to
take care of him, for she said he had consump-
tion, and would never get well, and the Doc-
tors could do nothing more for him. Pat was
kind of changed. He didn't seem like Pat
Molloy any more. He got to be kind-spoken
and good-hearted. The woman who took care
of him was very kind to him, and used to
make good things for him to eat. As he lay
there on a clean bed, with a little table beside
him, with oranges and grapes on it, and the
pleasant sunlight falling on the floor, I would
look at him and say, Is this really Pat Mol-
loy ! One day he calls me back as I was
going away, (you see I went every day to see
him ; sometimes I'd have an apple, and some-
times only a newspaper, but I liked to bring
something every day for him in memory of
past times), he calls me, and says he, " Jack,
you must forgive me for all my ugly ways to-
wards you ; I've been very bad to you, and
you're so kind to me I " I was clean beat out.

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I didn't know what to say. I couldn't keep
in the tears. Oh ! thinks t, it's I atn the
wicked one. "Pat," fiays I, "what's that
rerde Miss Gibson gave me t6 learn 5 thife is
just likfe it, for I fed feoirj n6W that I evfer
beat you, ol* got angry, or crofes ; I feel as I
never did before towardi^ you." " That's What
the Bible says. Jack ; I begiii to think if We
only do ^ the Bibte bayU, we'll fitid it all
come out right."

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AS TOLi) BY HIMSKLF, 27

CHAPTER IV.

I WAS walking one day past a fruit shop.
There were piles of oranges, bananas,
apples, and grapes at the door. Thinks I, how
Pat MoUoy would relish an orange. I had
just five cents to spare ; that ought to buy an
orange. I looked long and steadily at them,
BO as to be sure and pick out the very best for
the price. Then I took up the one I had
fixed upon and examined it. The shopman
saw me take the orange; he thought I was
going to run off with it. "Put down that
orange 1 " says he. " I was going to buy it,"
says I. " Ko such thing,'' called out the fel-
low, looking at me as if I was a thief, and
coming forward to take the thing out of my
hand. I had a five-cent piece in the same
hand with the orange, and, as he jerked me
by the shoulder, the money fell into a great
basket of potatoes. The man would not look

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for it himself; neither would he let me. He
said I hadn't any money, and he'd have me
taken np if I didn't clear out. All my life
I've been threatened with being taken up;
I'm used to it. People seem to take for
granted that poor boys like me will lie and
steal and swear. It seems as if they expected
it in us, so we get used to being called liars
and thieves, and we think it natural to lie
and steal, and we do it. I ran away, but I
was mad because I had lost my money, and I
sliook my fist at the man when I got beyond
his reach, and called him bad names. I prom-
ised myself that I'd get the worth of my
money out of him, and more too. So I
watched, unseen by him, for more than an
hour, and when he'd gone off to get his din-
ner and the shop-boy was waiting on other
customers, I crept round slyly. I watched
my chance, and when no one was near, I
slipped two nice oranges into my pocket and
ran off. I went straight home, for it was
near time to get' the evening papers, and hid

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 29

my oranges under the bed. Then I got the
rest of my money which I used to keep hid-
den in a hole in the floor, right under the
beam by the head of my bed. Just after I
ran out into the street it began to rain. A
boy can't sell as many papers when it rains.
Gentlemen won't stand still in the rain to
buy. Their coats are all buttoned up ; they
can't get at the money so easily. At such
tunes I used to go to the hotels and business
places. This takes longer, so it was too late
when I had got rid of all my papers for me to
carry my oranges to Pat Molloy that night.
X kept thinking all the time how glad he
would be to see me, and what he would say
when I showed him what I had bought for
him. I thought Miss Gibson would be glad
too, for hadn't she said we must be kind to
every one, even to a boy who has beat you ?
Pat had thrashed me many a time, and now I
had forgiven him for doing it, and was going
to make him a present. 1 thought I was a
very good boy, and wondered, by myself, if

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80 jack's stoby

" the dear Jesus," as Miss Gibson called Him,
didn't think I was very good. I could hear
the pit-pat of the rain falling on the roof, for
my bed was in the comer of the garret, and I
began to think that because I was so good
Jesus didn't let the roof leak just over my
bed^ as it did in so many other places, and I
had a great mind to thank Him for that, as
well as for His making me so good ; but I felt
father sleepy, so I put it off until some other
timcv I got the two oranges out firom under
the straw and laid them right beside my head,
so that I should see them the very moment I
waked up in the morning; I slept very
soundly that night, for I was tired, but I woke
up early, as usual, and my first thought was
of Pat and the oranges. I stretched up my
hand to feel for them in the uncertain morn-
ing light, but they were not there. I jumped
up to look if they had rolled down under the
rafter; they were not there. I hunted for
them everywhere, but they were not to be
found. I had lost things before. When

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 31

Biddy Flaherty could lay her hands on any-
thing, she'd be sure to carry it off and sell it
for a drink. I had no doubt but she had
come into my room when I wa,s asleep and
stolen my oranges. I went direct to her
room; both she and Mike were off. I felt
certain then that they were both off on a.
spre^ I was ma(d enough. I kicked against
the door. Ther^ wa^ nothing in the room
that wasn't already broken, or I think I
Yould have smashed it to pieces. Then I
ran out into the street, feeling about as ill-tern
pered aj^. sj* lad Qpuld f(^L It w.^ too early
to go to Pat IjCo^loy. I Ipi^w the wcwnan
who kept Ijkouse^ ^nd hard the carQ of Fat
wouldn't b^ awake at such an early hpur, so
I thought^ X^d m^e thei mosji of my time and
go to thQ 6teaml?Qat, wharfe pr tt^e deppt^ and
sell ^ome^ papers fo^ the early trains. I did
so well that day that I didn't get ready to go
and se^ Tskt as soon s& I thought to, and as I
went up his street, who should I meet but

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Miss Gibson, and I followed her to Pat's
room.

I told lier the whole story about the oranges.
She seemed to feel uncommon sorry for me.
" Jack," she says, " Biddy Flaherty did a very
wicked thing when she took those oranges,
didn't she?"

" Very, ma'am, a very wicked thing, and I
hope she'll be well beaten and locked up nn
jail, and kicked till she's most dead 1 "

" But yet she only did the same thing you
had done just before," says Miss Gibson.

" I don't understand you. Miss," says I.

" You see, Jack, you stole the oranges from
the man, and Biddy stole them from you."

" But I only stole one, for there was my
five-cent piece went for the other, and I
didn't take it for myself either. I was going
to give them both to Pat, but Biddy stole
them to sell for a drink."

" I am sorry that you should steal, no mat-
ter for what reason. I do not think it makes
it the less stealing because you did it for Pat.

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 83

Rememb^, Jaek, that a lie is always a lie,
and stealing is always stealing. If you take
that which does not belong to you, you are
stealing, and God forbids us to do that. You
are a thief, if you stole an orange, just as well
as Biddy. Ton see how wieked it is in h©*,
but you do not see how wieked it is in your-
self."

"I don't think I'm as bad as Biddy
Flaherty, miss!" says I, getting very
angry.

" No, Jack, I don't think you are. I diould
be very sorry if you, at ten or twelve, should
be as wicked as Biddy at forty. But I don't
want you to get like her ; and if you steal, you
are taking the first step that way. I don't
suppose that when she was of your age, she
was any worse than you are now ; but she
keeps going on in sin and wickedness, and if
you go on in sin yon will be in time perhaps
worse than she is now."

" Do you t]^ink I could ever be as hateful
and wicked and thievish as she is? " I asked^

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31 JACKS STORY

feeling rather frightened as I thought of poor,
miserable, drunken Biddy.

" Ton will be exactly the same, if yon go
on committing the same sins," says Miss Gib-
son, " and that is why I want you to stop now,
before you take another step in that road. I
want you to ask God to help you, and then
try very hard not to do such things any more.
If you wanted to go up-town, in which direc-
tion would you turn, Jack ? "

" Why, that way, miss," says I ; " that is the
way that leads up-town."

"And if you wanted to go down-town,
which direction would you take ? "

" That way," says I, pointing the opposite
way ; " that way leads down-town."

"Exactly so. Now, there is a road that
leads to heaven, and there is a way that leads
to heU ; they are opposite roads. If you steal,
lie, break God's commandments, and never
ask the dear Jesus to love you and help you,
you are on the road that leads to hell. If you
try not to do such things ; 1^ you try to do

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AS TOLD BT BJMSELF. 35

what is just and right, and try to love God,
and ask the dear Jesns to help yon, and
to teach yon ; if yon ask him to forgive your
sins for the dear Jesns' sake. He will help yon,
and He will gnide yon into the road that leads
to Heaven."

" I didn't mean no harm, miss, by just tak-
ing the oranges."

" I don't think yon meant harm, Jack ; but
it wasn't right, and I hope yon'll not do so
again."

" No, ma'am," says I ; " I'll try not to."

"Are you sorry. Jack, yon did so ?" she asks.

I .was kind of puzzled what to say. I
didn't mean to do so again, if she didn't like
it, but I can't say that I felt very sorry about
it ; so I said nothing.

"Do you think yon feel sorry enough to
pay the man this five cents for the orange you
stole ? " she asks.

"No, ma'am," says I ; " I ain't going to give
him no five cents for taking that orange. He'd
only call me a thief, and "

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36 jack's stqsbt

"But wouldn't that be trne)'^ asicB ll^m
Gibson.

^ Ygb, ma'am ; but &r all that I ain't going
neari^ man. I'm -MOnj tor jt^nr sake that
I took tlie ova&ge, beesuw it nuSsm yxm
Borry, and I'll try for your sake not to do so

" I wish you would try fear Jesus' sake,"
says sha

" No, ma'am," says I ; " you are kind and
good to me, and I love you ; but I doiif*t.know
anything about Jesus, and I don't love him,
and I don't want to love him."

"Ah, Jade," says she, *'it's precisely be-
cause you don't know Jesua that you don't
love him ; you dont know how kind and good
he is."

Pat had been looking from one of us to
the other all the time we had been speak-
ing, and he hadn't said a word ; but it seemed
now as if he couldn't keep stiH " O Jack,
my boy," says he, "I've always thought
just as you do, but since I've been lying

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As TOLD BY HIM6SLF. 37

here on this bed I begin to see. I've been mift-
taken. Do talk to him, miss, as jon talk to
me about Jesus, and then he will begui to see
how good and kind He is."

"No, Pat; I am only going to ^ve Jadt
jost now one thing to think about while he is
off at work, and out at play, and that is this :
God so loves us that, even while we were sin-
ners, he sent his dear Son Jesus to die for us.
You cannot forgive the fruit man ; you cannot
even own to him that you have done wrong.
You cannot pity, forgive or feel sorry for
Biddy Flaherty, and yet God is all the time
pitying you, and loving you, and helping you,
although you have sinned a great deal more
against Him than any one has against you.
Now remember, Jack, that Jesus loves you,
and that you grieve Him when you do
wrong."

I promised Miss Gibson that I would try to
do right, but that I didn't believe much in
myself She told me, she didn't want me to
believe in myself, but to ask Gpd, and He

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38 jack's stobV

would help me. Then she asked me, if I said
my prayers every night. I told her no.
Then she told me when I was in trouble, I
was to say, " Please God, to help me for the
dear Jesus' sake." I told her, I was in a
hurry just then, I couldn't stay any longer; so
I bid her and Pat good bye, and hurried off
to do an errand for a gentleman who had
promised me twenty-five cents for the work.

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AS TOLD BY UIMSKLF. 39

CHAPTER V.

IN order to make you understand what I
am now going to tell you, I must go
back and relate to you something which hap-
pened long before this. My father died before
my mother, although my mother had been^
sick as long as I can remember. I think she
must have had consumption, for she coughed
all the time, and looked very thin and white
like Pat MoUoy, and he told me that the Doc-
tor said he had consumption. There were
four of us children ; I was the oldest. Birdie,
we called my sister, because she had such
a sweet voioe to sing; she was two years
younger than I ; then my little brother Jim,
then the baby. I really don't know what her
name was, but we always called her Tiny.
When father died mother got a place for
Eirdie, and she was out at service, but some
way we lost track of her. It distressed poor

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40 JAOKB BTOEY

mother very much, and I camiot forget how
she cried when I had looked for Birdie a
whole day, and had to oome home, and tell
poor mammy that I oonldn't find her, the
folks had moyed, and taken her with them*
She died that night, but before dhe died, she
says to me, ^' Jack, I put all the children in
your care ; may the Lord help you« Try and
find Birdie, tell her from me to be a good
girl, and to help you take care of the chil*
dren.'^ She tried to say more, but she could
not, for all suddenly she fell back in bed, and
there she lay still and white. We all cried
^^ Mammy I mammy ! O speak to us, tell us
what to do I " but she neither spoke nor moved.
Jim began to cry out so loud that the baby
was frightened, and she began to cry, and I
just put my arms round mammy's neck, and
buried my face in the pillow on which she
lay, and there I cried silently, for I felt so
miserable. By and by, I think, we must all
have fskllen asleep, for I remember nothing
more until the sun was shining in the room,

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AS TOLD BT HIH8£LF. 41

and some one raised me up. It was Tom
Garter's mother. Th^e were tears in her
eyes, as she took me awi^ from poor dead
mother, and she said to me in a very kind
way, " Oh, my poor Jack, I feel so sorry for
you I ^ Mother looked exactly as she did the
evening before ; I was afraid to speak aloud,
I could only go in the corner and cry. Mrs.
Garter was as poor as we ; she could not help
us much, but she had mother buried, and took
us to her room. Then she spoke to some good
ladies in the church which she attended, and
they got some money from the poor fimd of
the church, and they paid her awhile fbr the
board of us ebildren. After a while a poor
woman took Tiny in place of a child she had
lost, and a lady took little Jim in her family.
I was put in a shoemtiker's shop, and I was to
have my board for running errands and call-
ing the master when any one came in the
shop; but I didn't like the work, so I ran
away. At first I lived by begging and sleep-
ing anvwhere I could ; but at last I took to

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4S JACKS STOBY

Belling papers, nmniBg eaeaxkiA, and doing
lAatevCT I conld find to do. I then hired the
comer of a garret, and had that as my home.

I conld not forget what mother told me
abont taking care of the children. I went to
see them whenever I could, but I didn't feel
satisfied with the care they got. Tiny was
very small and thin and pale. She had sore
eyes, and the woman that kept her — ^Mrs.
Dunn's her name — ^went out to wash and
iron, and left Tiny locked up until she got
home. I did so wish some one would take
the poor thing who wouldn't have to go out
to work and lock her up alone in the house.
Little Jim got along better ; but the lady he
calls "mother" doesn't like to have me see
him. She would rather Jim had no friends,
and she wouldn't let me talk to Jim unless
some one was by, for fear I might make him
bad. Then he gets -dressed up in fine clothes,
and feels as if he was above me. If I hadn't
promised mother to look after the children, I
never would have gone near Jimmy — ^never,

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 43

never. Most of all, I felt bad about Birdie.
We used to be everjihiiig to each other,
Birdie and I. If any one gave her an apple,
or the least bit of cake, or anything else, she
always shared with me. If any of the boys
or girls in the alley beat me, Birdie always
came to help. Many and many's the fight we
had for each other. I did think Birdie must
be dead. If she was living anywhere in the
world, I think she'd run and look for me;
much more now that two years had gone by,
and she hadn't been found.

dbyGoogk

44 jack's ftTOEY

CHAPTER VI.

As I had told Mias Qihson and Pat Molioy
- that day as I left them, a gentleman,
who often gets me to run errands for him,
wanted me to go far up town. He said I
shonld have twenty-five cents when I came
back to him with the answer. So, a» I left
Miss Gibson and Fat MoUoy that meniing, I
started on my way. I went to the place, and
got a note to bring back to the gentleman.
As I was crossing a fashionable street, full of
handsome houses, I saw an old fellow playing a
harp and a girl with a tambourine. I shouldn't
have noticed them at all only just then the
girl began to sing. Her voice sounded so
much like Eirdie's, that I couldn't go on. I
forgot the twenty-five cents the gentleman
had promised me. I forgot everything just
then, but the thought that, somehow, my dear
Birdie had come to life. I ran over the way

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AS TOIiD BT bucbelf. 4S

and down the block until I came near. Her
back was towards me; tbe matn shook his
head and told me to clear out, but nothing
leonM ha^e stuped me, not even a poUeeman,
from going round in front of tibe tambourine
ghl md looking in her &ce. It waai it waal
^' Oh, my <mjSL JBirdie I " I jsaid. She iifcopped
«in^g ; sheJbeld out her tambourine tA arm's
l^^A, ae tf she did not know what she was
About, and than h^ faoe beeame so white, oh,
«o white I tibat it «eemed as if her yeay lips
lost their cdkxr. 8he could not speak, and I
hdd. h^ in my arms while she teried to gasp
out eomething. I could not understand what
13^ meant, but I thought she was dying. It
'Seemed to n^ie as if she had been dead these
two years, and now had come back to me
^tnly to go again, so I held both her hands
ti^, and said, ^^ Qh, Birdie, don't die again ;
«»me home with me ! " All this took but a
minute, and by this time the ugly man with
itiie harp found out what was going on, so he
flew at me as if he was a tiger; but I am

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46 • jack's stoby

strong, if I am small, and I felt that time as
if I had something to fight for. When he
thought to knock me down and run off with
Birdie, I dodged his fist, and gave him such a
blow as he did not expect. "Eun, Birdie,
run," I cried, " I'll follow you in a minute/'
But she stood still kind of dazed, so I did not
dare run off without her, and the old fellow
at me again, but quick as lightning I jumped
aside, and then nimbly fiew at him ; but as he
turned to grab me, he stumbled near the
curb-stone and fell, striking the back of his
head very heavily on the cobble-stones of the
street. This was a lucky chance for me. I
took Birdie by the arm ; I almost dragged her
along, for it seemed to me as if she had no
strength. I found we should speedily be
caught at this rate, for it seemed as if Birdie
had lost all power of hunting. My poor
mother used to think me quick-witted, even
while she was alive ; but I have had to fight
my own way along so much, that it seems as
if my wits must have got sharper every day,

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OLD HARPER.— Page 46

Digitized by VjOOQIC

Digitized by VjjOOQIC

A8 TOLD BY HDCSELF. 47

So all the while I was drawing poor Birdie
along, I was contriving how I should manage.
We had jnst turned a comer. I saw a large
packing-box standing at the foot of some cel-
lar steps. Quick as a flash I carried her down
the steps; the box, oh, how lucky I was empty.
I meant to hide her behind it ; but the open
side was towards the inside of the cellar, so I
almost pushed her in, telling her in a quick
whisper, to keep still and stay there until I
came back. Then I flew out of the cellar,
just in time to cross the street and turn the
next comer before L heard steps following. It
was as I tjiought — the old harp ma'n was
chasing me, but he dared not leave his harp,
and he could not go very fast with that on
his back. So he called for the police, and
shouted, and tried to get up a row. I called
also for the police, as if I was his friend help-
ing him, and I kept just far enough ahead of
him so that he could not possibly catch me. By
this time there were a dozen or more boys in
the crowd to see what the fuss was about • and

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M JAffK^M STORY

as &e mani hadn't seen me bat for a moment,
and a0 the blow on his head had made him
confused, he did not seem exactly to know
which boj he was afier. There was big
boy who had on a cap just like mine, aad the
maai seemed to think he was the one. As the
boy knew nothing abont what was hai^)ening,
be diidn't walk so &0t as I did, so the old harp
man can^t him, and was about to give him
the good beating he meant for me. Jnst then
a policeman came up, and I didn't stop to ex-
plain matters, I can tell you. Away I ran
entirely round the block, and came up behind
just in time to see the harper and the boy
both carried o£^ for they had, it seems, come
to blows before they saw the policeman. I
loitered around nntil the street was entirely
dear, and then very slyly I stole oflP to the
steps where I bad hidden Birdie. There she
lay, either asle^ or dead ; at first I couldn't
tell which it was. My strength then seemed
quite gone. If she was dead, oh, what could
I do 1 I took her hands in mine and rubbed

Digitized by VjOOQIC

AS TOLD BT HIM8SLF. 49

them. « Oh, Birdie, Birdie 1 " I said, « don't
die yet I " At last I thought I heard her ask
for a drink. How was I to carry water down
here ? I had no cnp, even if the water was
in the street, which it wasn't Then I re-
membered that Biddy OTlaherty nsed to say
that whiskey was a "cnre-all," and I deter-
mined to get some whiskey, if it took every
penny I had. Only give me something to do,
and it seems to set me all straight. When I
stood looking at poor Birdie, wondering what
to do, I felt miserable ; bnt now that I could
do something for her, it seemed as if my
strength was renewed. I had no need now
of telling her to stay there until I should come
back ; she could not move, I could see that.
In my pocket was the sum of fifty cents, the
sales of papers the evening before. I went to
a junk-shop and bought two bottles which
would hold a pint each. One I filled with
water from a hydrant. Then I went to a
liquor saloon and bought some kind of drink
made of whiskey, and this I put in the other

Digitized by VjOOQIC

50 jack's bto&t

bottle. Next I went into a bakery and bonglit
two rolb and a few crackers. Off I ran in
great haste to the cellar steps. Althongh I
had been gone aec^ly half an hoar, ^irdie lay
just as X had left her. I put the whiskey
bottle to hw lips and farced her to drink
nearly th^ half of it. I watched by her for
minutes^ whidi seemed like half hours.

Soon the o^lor came in her lips, and then
in her checks, and then she opened her eyes
and looked at me, and began to cry, not loud
like street childrexi, but sofQy as if her heart
was broken, and she did not dare tp speak
loud. She held my hand tight^ as if she was
afraid she might lose me. When I saw the
great tears roll down her cheeks, and she cry-
ing so softly^ I declare it did go right to my
hearts I just tried in my silly foolish way to
comfort her as I had seen mother comfort the
children. I patted her on the dieeks, and
rubbed her hands, and called her my own
dear darling Birdie. Then I poured some of
the whiskey on a roll, and I got her to eat it.

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AB TOLD BT BIKSELF. 51

I thooght it seemed to revive her even more
thim the wbi^ej, and then I persnaded her to
eat the craekers. For mc»re than an hour we
lat there in the great packing-box, entirely
eereraed from the street, and with only light
coming tluronghihe craeka of the box to make
it like an hour after smiset. Th^i I began to
remember that I had promised the gentleman
to hnrry with the note ; so I knew I ooght
not to stay. I dared not leave her, and yet
I dared not take her with me, for she was so
weak that if the harper had seen ns, he could
Tciy easily hare caught her again. This box
waft certainly the Bafest place for her, cramped
aa it waa for us both to crawl in, it was the
safest place for her to stay until evening. She
was now so much better that I could make the
arrangement with hear that she was to stay
there, not to stir out until I should come for
her^ She seemed to think that I was going to
call mother to come to her. I did not un-
deceive her by telling her of mother's d^th.
I also saw that she waa suffering from hung«r.

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52 JAOK'S STOBY

I knew then whj she had been so faint, and
so nnable to walk. I gave her the other roll,
and the crackers, the bottle of water, and the
rest of the whiskey ; then I bid her good-bye
and told her to try and sleep, after she had
eaten up the things I left with her, and not
by any means to stir out When- 1 got out in
the street, you may be sure I ran very fast to
make up for lost time. I was quite out of
breath when I reached the gentleman ; he had
some friends talking with him, and I think
he must have been so much engaged that he
did not notice that 1 was behind time. The
note I brought, it seems, needed another in
reply, so the gentleman said if I would come
back in two hours he would give me another
quarter, and send me back to the same place.
Nothing could have pleased me better. This
was just exactly what I wanted ; for it would
take me in the very direction I had to go to
see Birdie. So promising the gentleman I
wotdd return in two hours, I went off to my
garret-room to prepare a place for Birdie,

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 63

when I shonld bring her homa I borrowed
a broom from about the only woman in our
alley who owned one. Then I swept the
room, raising such a dust as I hope never again
to see in any room which I call mine. Poor
mother was very neat, and I think that we
children all inherited a love of neatness and
order from her. I had never thought of the
condition of my room so long as I was alone ;
but now* when I was to bring Birdie here, it
came upon me very suddenly that the place
was not very nice. I should have borrowed a
pail and scrubbed the floor, as the sweeping
did not improve it very much, but I feared it
would not be dry enough. So I shook up the
straw that I called my bed. Then I raised
up the board next to the rafter under which I
kept my money hid, and took out my hoarded
store to count it over. I hesitated long as to
whether I should take out enough to buy some
kind of blanket for my bed. Birdie was all
the world to me. Yes, I concluded I would
buy her a blanket ; but, alas I I did not know

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54 JACK 6 8T0BT

how much sudti things cost, and wbon I
priced one hanging at the door of a dieap
shop, I sighed and put my money back in my
pocket. Yet I couldnH bear to go back to my
garret with nothing in my hand; so, after
pricing various articles, all of which were &r
beyond my means, I at last bought a cup icft
ten cents which had on it in ^t letters ^* For
a Good Girl." Why I bought it I'm sure I
can't tell ; only that I loved Birdie, I had
no table to put it on, no chair, no bench, only
a soap-box which served me as a seat« That
and my straw bed were my sole possessions.
This room which I called mine was parti-
tioned off from the huge garret of what had
once been a handsome old style house. The
oval window in the south gable was in this
room ; perhaps I ought not to call it a room ;
it was nothing more than a large store closet
under the eaves.

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AS TOLD BY HIMBELF. 55

CHAPTER VII.

AFTEB I had t^en l^e letter, luid done
JLJL my errand, I went back to Birdie in
the great packing-box. There she was faist
asleep, smelling so etrongof the whiskey that
I Was almost frightened, for it reminded m%
of Biddy O'Flaherty. I think she was und^
the influence of liqnor as much as Biddy ever
was, for I had not thought of the weak state
she was in, and I had poured down her throat
almost as large a diink as a confirmed drunk-
ard would have taken. I felt worried at what
I had done. I thought of my poor mother's
Words, " Never take a drop. Jack ; it will ruin
you, «oul and body.'' I flung the empty whis-
key bottle in the street, and broke it in a
thousand pieces. I did not know what to do
fer Birdie ; it was something so new for me to
have any one beside myself to care for. Up
ftam my heart went a great cry for help ; bslp

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66 jack's story

for myself, help for Birdie was what I wanted.
I then remembered what Miss Gibson had said
about God * being a help in time of trouble.
So I cried to the Lord, and I really think he
helped me. A while after Birdie roused up.
She looked bewildered and frightened when
she saw me. Indeed she seemed to have all
the time a wild look, as if she was afraid of
something or somebody. She held both my
hands very tight, as if afraid I might run
away. " Oh, Jack 1 " she said, " is all this a
dream? Where is mother? Are you sure
it's you, Jack ? Are you sure you will let me
stay with you and mother ? " " Birdie," said
I, " you shall never leave me again — ^never —
never. Come, let us go home now ; are you
able to walk ? " It was now getting dark; the
lamps were just being lighted. It was a cold,
gusty night, early in the autumn. I wanted
to get her away from that part of the town
while it was night, lest the harper should be
let out of the station-house and should find us.
But poor Birdie could hardly walk. She corn-
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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 57

plained of a headache, and she said her head
swam round. I knew this was the effect of
the Kqnor. When I got her in the street her
old fear seemed to come back, and she wanted
to run away — anywhere so as only the old
harper did not find her, but she could hardly
walk from the effect of the whiskey. I think
if I had not loved her so much that I could
think of nothing else, I would have been
ashamed to walk the streets with her, her gait
was so unsteady, and she looked so like a
drunken woman. The open air made her feel
better; soon she was able to walk faster ; then
we hurried on, dodging into the shadows of
, the stores and houses every time we saw a
rough-looking man the size and appearance of
the harper. The distance never seemed so
great ; but at last we reached our alley, and I
led Birdie up to my garret. Until this time,
I think, she expected to meet mother and the
children, and to be led to the rooms we used
to have.

When I brought her into my poor attic

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68 JAOK'8 STOSY

room and made her fdt down on my box, I
felt as if I oonld hardly tell her the wliole
dtory of mother's death. I untied her old
hood. I took off her £Euled shawl, and fidded
it up a6 If it had belon^d to a qiieen, amd
l^d it, with her hood, on the bed. She had
complained diat her shoes hurt her feet, so I
took them off, and rubbed her feet to warm
them. I did not look up in her face, for I
kept thinking how I should tell her about
mother's death. My tears fell on her feet.
She raised my head up with both hands, and
looked me full in the face. When she was a
child she had large brown eyes like mother's.
Oh, such beautiful eyes I Now, as she looked
at me, her face was so much paler and thinner
than I ever had seen it before, that she looked
as if her face was nothing only eyes. And if
eyes ever speak, hers did then, and told me
of all the love in her heart for me, and that
she was not used to kindness or love ; had not
had any since she left me. She burst into
tears, and so did I ; and there we cried and

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AS TOLD BY 6IM8BLF. 50

cried all alone in the light of the street lamp
tiiat ^hxme in our room. Yes, "we were all '
tlone m the world, my poor Birdie and 1 1
But we had each other.

Then the child became qniet, and sat look-
ing at me with longing eyes ; eyes Jliat asked
the question which her lips refused to ask;
^yes that dreaded what the coming answer
might be 1

She did not speak ; she only looked at me.
"then she turned slowly round and scanned
my desolate garret, the time-stained rafters
overhead, the cobwebs on the dusty walls, the
bhie-flfes buzring on the specked window-
glass, the stained floor, the bunch of straw,
with its dirty coverlid, that served me as a
bed. Oh, it looked dreary enough, but the
aching heart of the little one was yet more
dreary I I could not stand the questioning
^es that were fixed so sadly upon me, and
the parted, silent lips, and the choking sob
which she tried to smother. " Birdie,'^ said
I, " my Birdie." But she did not speak, only

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60 jack's 8T0EY

her little thin hands were clasped the tighter.
The antumn wind sighed through the lonely
garret, and the draft from the cracked win-
dow fluttered the frayed edges of her poor
thin dress against her bare feet. Then, as if
the silence oppressed her, a heart-rending cry
burst from her lips — " Mother ? " And she
looked into the distant gloom of the empty
garret with an intentness that made me start
as if I expected the dead mother to come back
and fold the home-sick child to her heart. I
do not believe the dead have power to come
back to the living ; I do not believe the dead
are around us and can see and hear us; no
heart could have withstood the anguish of
that cry, no power could have held my mother
back had she heard the call from her child I
Once again, louder and in greater terror, she
cried '^Mother?" and the words echoed
through the gloom among the rafters. I
thought I heard a sigh ; it was biit the moan-
ing of the wind. I went to her and put my

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF, 61

arms around her; her slight frame was shiver-
ing as if with cold ; and yet through the torn
sleeve which hung in tatters around her thin
arms, I felt that her hands were burning hot,
and I said, " My Birdie, she is dead ; we are
alone in the world, you and I, my poor
Birdie 1 " She did not shriek ; she did not
cry, as I had expected ; but the beseeching
gaze she fixed upon me was more pitiful than
any words could have been, and her calm
despair told how in one sad moment she
realized the uselessness of her caU. The light
seemed to go out from her eyes and the
strength from her limbs. She held out her
arms to me, and I caught her and laid her on
my bed.

I told her all about mother's death, and,
although I tried, I could not keep from cry-
ing. Somehow I didn't feel ashamed of crying
before Birdie. I didn't know how lonely I
had been until now; I didn't know how
much I had missed mother and the children.

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62 jack's btoby

f<^ I u^ed to drive away such feelings. Tben^
I began to think God was good to me, and
that I would like to be good and to thank
Him, and I told Birdie about Miss Gibson,
a^d that X would ask her to eome and see us
and help us. Sut when I spoke of any one
eonxiiig, then Ae old tern^f camci oyer Birdie,
and she shiveredi and her great brown eyes
opened so wide and looked so frightened, and
9he got all in a tremble. ^ What does ail you,
Birdie!" I asked. « Oh, don't let anybody
come m here but you» Jade ; don't let them
eonie in; they'll carry me away again^ and
the old harper will come— <^ I— oh 1 " And
she began to cry again-nnot a quiet, peaceful
cry that might have done her good, but a
firighteaoed, terror-stricken cry, so that I
thought she was getting crazy. By and by,
she becaine quiet, and I persuaded her to lie
down and go to sleep, and I would watch, so
that the old harper shouLdn^t come and catch
her; but you may be sure that as soon as she
got asleep, I was so tired myself that I could

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AS tOLD BY BIMBELF. 83

not keep awake, although I was both cold and
hungry, for I had had nothing since breakfast.
I soon fell asleep on the floor beside the bed
on which Birdie lay.

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64 jack's stobt

CHAPTER VIII.

WHEN I awoke in the morning I noticed
that Birdie's face was very red, her
hands felt very hot ; and when she looked np
at me, she kept talking all the time to her-
self I could not make her notice anything
or speak to me. I don't know much about
sickness, but I could see she was very sick. I
didn't know what to do. I was a&aid to let
Biddy OTlaherty know of Birdie's being
found, for her drunken tongue would tell it
all over the neighborhood, and then, perhaps,
the harper would come and carry her off.
There was Tom Carter's mother; I might
have told her safely, but she earned her living
by taking care of sick folks, and I knew that
she was away nursing somebody. I thought
I had better go and ask Pat MoUoy. He was
the only one I could go to. I felt so weak

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AS TOU> BT HIM8ELF. 65

from hunger that I had to take out money
enough from my Btore to buy a good breakfast
in the market, or I think I should have fiiUen
down in the street. I didn't buy anything
just then for Birdie, for I didn't know what I
had better get. So I went to where Fat Mol-
loy Kved. The woman said Pat felt better,
and told me to go right in a^d see him. He
did look so comfortable in his nice bed, that
when I thought of poor sick Birdie lying in a
bunch of straw in my coM attic, I felt like
crying, only I would not have cried before
Pat MoUoy for the world. Pat was glad to
see me, and I told him all about Birdie. He
knew her very well ; but I hadn^t finished my
story before says he, " Jack, you must go to
Miss Gibson." I told him how the thought
<rf having anybody come there had frightened
tiie poor child, but he said that was be-
cause she didn't know Miss Gibson. " Besides,"
says he, ^^ what can you do. Jack ? You must
tell some one. She would die without some
care. The policemen would find out about

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66 jack's STOBT .

lier^ and they'd send her to the hospital, or
the nuns would come and carry her off, and
you'd never find her. Take my advice; go
see Miss Gibson; ask her what to do."
" What would a fine lady like her care about
Birdie or me ? " said I, yet thinking all the
time how much I wanted to tell her. " She's
good and wise, Jack; she loves the 'dear
Jesus,' as she calls Him, and wants to go
about doing good among poor folks, just as
He did. Now you go to her right off."

I took Pat's advice, and went to Miss Gib-
son. She was not at home. " There," said I,
''just like these rich folks; never at home
when you want them 1 " I am ashamed now
when I look back and think how I was always
blaming Miss Gibson. " Ungrateful rascal ! "
she ought to have called me ; but she was so
patient, she never did. That was what she
learned from " the dear Jesus," I guess.

I had to get my papers now, for I was
already behind time. I had lost as much as
a whole day's work «ven in the .short while I

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 67

had taken care of Birdie, for in the middle of
the day I never found much to do. There-
fore, sick as Birdie was, I had to leave her,
for our daily bread would depend on my
earnings. I didn't seem to have much heart
for my work, for I kept wanting all the time
to go back to my room and see Birdie. On
my way down town I stole a padlock with a
key in it, which I saw carelessly left on a
warehouse steps. I thought it would be so
nice to have Birdie lock the door, then she
would not be afraid when I was out. As soon
as I had sold the papers I ran off home, only
stopping to get a loaf of bread on the way.
I found Birdie better ; she did not have any
fear, at least so she said, and she knew me,
and was so glad to see me. I filled the pint-
bottle with water in the street, and brought it
up to our attic. I filled her new cup with
the fresh water, and drank her health with it.
The loaf of bread, the new cup, the bottle of
water, and my jack-knife, were all spread out
on the soap-box for a table. Birdie lay in

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68 MCK's 8T0BT

bed, I on the floor, with the soap-box table
between ns, and I felt as happy as a king.
Birdie seemed happy too; but now that It
was daylight, and I conld see her more
plaialy, I disoovered that ^he was even more
pale and thin than I had thought at first
8he was so feeble that she oould not sit up,
and she would not touch the bread; she just
nibbled on a cracker, so that I should think
she was entirely well, and not feel worried.
She drank a great deal of water ; I thought it
was for the pleasure of drinking out of her new
cup. She was so proud of that cup, and I was
so glad I had bought it. ^^ It was just like
you, Jack I" she said, and then I felt very
proud.

I showed her the padlock I had stolen.
"I'm so glad you took it. Jack," she said.
" Now we'll lock everybody out, you and I'll
live here by ourselves, and we'll steal the chil-
dren back, and we'll live here by ourselves as
we used to when mammy was alive." We made
all our arrangements. Jimmy was to be left

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 69

where he was for the winter, for we thought
he might not be willing to come, and then he
would tell some one about us, and spoil bur
plans. But we agreed that I was to break
into Mrs. Dunn's room some day she was out
washing, and I was to carry off Tiny. I had
many misgivings about keeping warm in the
winter, but Birdie seemed so terrified when I
spoke of telling any one of our plans, and get-
ing help, that I was afiraid she might run
away, and that I should never find her again.
I ventured once to say, " You know. Birdie,
we can't have fire here; I have no stove.
Last winter I used to steal into the ferry-
house to get warm before I ran home and got
in bed ; or I would go, when it was very cold
weather, to the newsboy's lodging-house ; or
I would do some bit of work for a liquor
saloon, and stand at the stove until I got
warm. But you and Tiny couldn't do that ;
how would you manage to keep warm?"
" Oh, Jack, we will lie in bed until it comes
warm weather 1 we would never get up all

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70 jack's btobt

winter, you know." Birdie was younger than
I, and she couldn't stand the hard time we
had had in the world as well as I could, and
she hadn't got as quick-witted as I had.
Somehow I felt that what she was aU the
time saying we could do, we never could ; but
I couldn't make her think as I did, and I was
afraid, poor thing, to contradict her, she
looked so weak and forlorn. Mammy used to
say that I was the smartest of all the family,
and I couldn't but see now that I had a great
deal more knowledge of the world, and how to
get along, and what to do, than Birdie had.
I felt all the time that it wouldn't be very
prudent to steal Tiny just yet until we could
see how we could get along ourselves. I fully
meant to steal her after a while, but thought
we had better wait until we had made a trial
ourselves of getting along.

There was a sort of bar on our door, which
had been once fastened with a padlock. I
];iad an eye to that when I stole the padlock,
and while we were talking I had put it on

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 71

and locked it. Jast then we heard steps com-
ing up our rickety stairs.

Biddy OTlaherty evidently was there, but
not alone. She was showing some one up,
and she talked very loud, as she always did
when she was drunk, and that was half the
time. " Is it there ye are, Jock? " she shouted
from the lower platform. " Shure, here some
wan a comin' fiir to see ye 1 "

Birdie started up, and clung to me with
both hands. She held me so tight that I was
almost choked.

" Ooom down, Jock, if ye bees there ; here's
a leddy to see ye."

" Don't, Jack, don't," cried Birdie. '' Oh,
I'll die if one comes here to take me away."

" But they shan't take you away," I said.

"Yes, they will, if they can get in here;
don't let any one in. Jack."

" It must be Miss Gibson," I said. " She
will do you good ; *let her come in."

"No, Jack, no," cried Birdie. "She's not
good; she's bad, she's bad;" and then, oh,

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what a yfle string of names she called Miss
Gibson. It sounded bo much like Biddy
O'Flaherty that I was frightened, for poor
Birdie used to be sudi a quiet, good-tempered,
pleasant-spoken child when mother was alive.
Presently I heard the light steps of a lady
on the stairs and then a voice. I knew it to
be Miss Gibson's ; she was speaking to a man-
servant who was with her, and seemed to be
disconraging her from going up farther. He
said, " You'll get small pay, may be, Miss ; I
wouldn't go further, to say nothing of the ver-
min ye'U get on ye, and the miserable thieves
and pickpockets as haunts these places.
They'll be sure to come out and knock ye
down, Miss, and they'll steal yer purse and
yer watch; and oh. Miss, do come down.
What would the master say if he knowed of
yer comin' in sich places 1 " " Oh, Birdie,"
said I, softly, "do let me go and open the
door." But she shook her head, and held me
tight fast. Then I heard the wily old Biddy
speak. " Shure, Miss, I knows Jack well ;

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Afl TOLD BY HIMSKLF. 73

he went out fomenst me jist the minint fore
yon coom in ; why didn't I think of it before
yer leddyship coom np all these steps ; and if
yee has ony message, or onything to lave for
Jack, jist lave it with me, mem ; I'm his aunt,
his mother's own sister." Oh, the old story-
teller, the guileful old creature ; how I longed
to break away from Birdie and open the door
for Miss Gibson, and beg her to come in ; and
how I longed to say " Ton lie 1 " to old Biddy ;
" You're nothing to me at all, and I would
never get anything that's left with you."
But poor Birdie stood before me, holding me
tight fast, with those great sad eyes of hers
opened wide with terror, and beseeching me,
in a low tone, not to open the door.

^' I will leave this basket full of nice things
for Jack and his sister, whom, I hear, has come
back to him very sick. I think these things
may do her good. I do wish I could see the
child. Pat MoUoy told me she was here, and
I don't think he would tell me a story," said
Miss Gibson, hesitatingly.

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74 jack's btoey

"His sister?" asked Biddy, in a tone of
surprise.

" Yes," said Miss Gibson, " liis sister ; isn't
it so?"

Biddy hesitated a moment, only a moment.
Then she put on the old beggar whine with
which she had so often imposed on people,
and I could hear her voice distinctly, and
knew she was wiping her eyes with the comer
of her dirty apron. " Shure, Miss, it wasn't
two childer that me poor sister left ; there was
six of 'em, plazin' yer honor. I took care of
three, and one on 'em died ; and now I hes the
care of Jock and his two sisters, and there's the
baby to look after, and worrok is scarce ; and
'dade. Miss, I finds it very hard geltin' along ;
but ef ye'Il lave the things with me, I'll divide
'em all among the childer, and the Lord bless
ye, and may his best blessing and the help of
the Holy Yargin and all the saints, ever go
with yees." I knew she was curtseying and
wiping her eyes and making believe cry, and
I burned so with anger I could hardly keep

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AS TOLD BY HDiBELF. 75

Btill ; only there, right before me, stood Birdie
trembling like a lea^ and holding me tight,
and from time to time saying such bad
words.

'' I dont understand quite how this can be,"
said Miss Gibson. ^^ Jack always told me he
was alone in the world, and now Pat Molloy
says he has a sister, and yon say there is a
large family. Somehow, I am afraid I am
being deceived." I could hear that Miss Gib-
son's voice was trembling.

'^ Come, Miss, come down ; they're all a set
of thieves and liars, every one of 'em. dome
down, this is no place for the likes of a lady as
you be; they'll cheat yon whenever they can."
This was the servant man, and then I could
hear Miss. Gibson say, as she went down
stairs:

" Well 1 it's no use, however, that I carry
these things home with me. Ton take the
basket," turning to the man, " into this wo-
man's room, and you," turning to Biddy,
" O'Flaherty I think you said your name was.

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you keep the things for Jack ; tell him Miss
Gibson left them for him," and then they all
went down stairs. I looked out of our win-
dow, and saw Miss Gibson enter her carriage
and drive off. Birdie gave a sigh of relief.
1 sighed from shame and mortification. I
said not a word to Birdie ; I knew that if I
spoke then it would be in great anger. I was
ashamed of myself, ashamed of Birdie. I un-
bolted the door and went down to Biddy's
room. She had just opened the basket, and
was holding up a glass of jelly between her
eye and the light to see how clear it was.
" Those things are mine I " said I. 8he started
at the sound of my voice, and at once put the
glass back in the basket.

"If they bees youm, ihen why didn't ye
come and git 'em? You're a pretty one
with yer lies about a sick sister. Get 'em,
indade ; I'd like to see ye^" and she held the
handle of the basket tight with both hands,
and leaned over it, scowling at me with her
bloodshot, bleared eyes, tmtil she looked more

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A8 TOLD BY HIMSELF. 77

like a fiend than a woman. I could have
wrenched the basket from her grasp, that she
knew well : but she also determined, and that
/ knew, that she would upset the basket
before I snatched it, and that rather than let
me have the contents she would tread them
on the jloor under her feet. Had I been as
false as she thought me, and had I made up a
lie about having a sick sister, and thus im-
posed upon some lady to send me a basket of
dainties, I would have fought for the basket
as well as she, and the probability is neither
of us would have got a thing fit to eat out of
it. There were two reasons, therefore, why I
did not try to get the basket. The first was,
I was not BO bad as she was, and would rather
that she should have the contents than to
have them ruined by a fight for them. And
the second reason was, that I saw she knew
nothing of my having Birdie, and thought
my story had been all made up. If I was too
eager to gain the basket, she might come up
to my room afterwards, and so find out about

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78 jack's story

Birdie. "I will tell the lady what an old
thief and a liar you are ! " I said in my rage.
She drew a hideous face at me, and laughed
her dreadful drunken laugh. " Better tell the
leddy what a thief and liar yer bees yersel' 1
He 1 he 1 he 1 Why didn't ye coom out and
spake to the leddy yersel' ? He 1 he 1 he 1 Te
didna dare hev her go in yer room and see no
sick fambly, only yersel'. He 1 he 1 he 1 Te
thought she'd send just the basket wi' the
mon, and ye'd tak' it yersel- on the stairs, an'
no one'd be the wiser. It's Biddy O'Flaherty
that hez the nice fambly of yourn to care fur
and the sick childer. May the Holy Yargin
presarve me, but it's a good joke as iver I
heerd, and I'll tell on't when I get me next
drink at O'Eourke's. He 1 he 1 he 1 And
ye'U niver hear the last of the joke about yer
nice large fambly, shure as I'm alive ! "

I turned pale with anger. I saw the old
hag had the best of me. I could have knocked
her down on the spot, but what good would
it do ? I slammed the door, without making

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AB TOLD BY HIMSELF. 70

a single effort to regain the basket, and went
up to my room and threw myself on the floor.
Birdie saw how angry I looked. She began
to call both Biddy and Miss Gibson a string
of bad names. She hoped for all evil things
to happen equally to them both. She ex-
pressed herself just as miserable, drunken
Biddy might have done. I knew how pure
and good, how beautiful, how kind. Miss Gib-
son was; and then there flashed upon me
the knowledge I had never had before, of the
great difference between Miss Gibson and
ourselves. She stood before me the type of
all that was good and noble; we were the
type of deception, ingratitude, foulness, and
sin. As she was above us, so was good above
evil. How high was her great pattern the
" dear Jesus " above the sinful inhabitants of
this world 1 I saw for the very first time in
my life what the Bible calls the beauty of
holiness. I saw myself and Birdie, on the
one side, full of meanness, ingratitude, and
sin. L saw the dear Jesus in one of His

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80 jack's stobt

ckadren. I coidd not have expressed this to
^u at that time ; I (mly felt it then. Since
then I have looked back, and understood the
feeling. I also think that I have since then
learned to understand how God overrules
things for good, so that apparent losses maj
prove great gains; that one may lose an
hour even of life, and yet gain it. If Miss
Gibson could have seen all this that trans-
pired between Biddy and me, she would have
said, "My time is all lostl I have been
cheated and imposed upon." Yet the whole
contents of the basket, bestowed as was meant,
could never have given me the view of God
and goodness and holiness as I gained it then
and there.

I believe the dear Jesus, for the first time
in my life, let me see things as I ought always
to see them.

When Birdie saw how angry I looked at
first, and then, as I lay on the floor, how sad,
after a while, I began to feel, she seemed sorry
for me, and came and put her arms around

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A8 TOLD BT HIMSELF. 81

me, and called me loving names, and oaressed
me. It was a long, long time since any one
had called me pet names and kissed and ca-
ressed me; none ever liad since Mammy died.
I believe I was always a kind-hearted boy,
and it was very pleasant to me to have some
one love and care for me ; so after a while I
got np and began to talk again with Birdie.
I fully intended to scold her about the bad
words she ujsed, but somehow she looked so
pale and thin, and seemed so fond of me, that
I couldn^t bear to say anything that she might
not like.

We' sat and talked together for a while, and
then I told her I must go and earn our sup-
per ; so I went off to get the evening papers.
I heard Birdie lock the door after me as I
ran down stairs.

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jack's 6T0BY

CHAPTER IX.

THAT night Birdie fieemed very wony-
Bome when I got back. She was so
restless and uneasy that I did not know what
to do to please her. I could see that she
hadn't touched the loaf of bread ; indeed, ex-
cept the crackers, she hadn't eaten a thing all
day. I said, «Tou are sick." ^'Not I,''
she answered j ^^ Z am never sick. When you
and Tiny and I b^n our housel^eping,
you'n see how stnnig and well I'll be. Fll
keep your clothes mended just as mammy
used to do, and make frockB and aprons for
Tiny and me." "You haven't any thread
and needles. Birdie," I said, ^^and we haven't
any stuff to make frocks and aprons o£"
After I had spoken I was sorry, for I saw
Birdie began to look angry, although she did
not speak. Her face was very flushed and
red, and she trembled as if she felt weak. I

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 83

felt her hands; they were very hot. "Yon
have fever now,'' I said; "go lie down.'^
"Nol nol" she exclaimed, quite angrily,
" you mustn't say I'm sick. You only want
to get rid of me. It is Tiny I want ; I will
be all well when she comes."

I did not know what to make of Birdie, she
was so changeable and so different from what
she used to be. One minute she would be
fuU of terror; then again she would be kind
and loving; then, without much apparent
reason, she would get angry. I began to fear
that I would not be so happy with her as I
had expected. That night h^ fear qame on
again. She talked in her dreams all night.
She worried all the time about getting Tiny.
I began to think that, perhaps, she was pining
for Tiny, and would never get well until I
brought Tiny to her. Towards morning her
fever went off. I watched beside her nearly
All night, for I did not feel very well myself;
trying to sleep on the hard floor had given me
cold; indeed I could not sleep. I watdied

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the stars from our window, and wondered if
mother looked down at ns from np there, and
then I thought of the " dear Jesus,'* as Miss
Gibson used to say, and I felt, as before, that
I was not good ; that Birdie -and I were so
different from Miss Gibson, who had learned
how to be good from Jesus ; and if she was
what the Saviour wanted us to be, then how
wicked we were, for we were not even like
her, much less like Jesus.

Birdie drank from her cup all through the
night. I thought, in my ignorance of fever,
it was because she liked the new cup— not
because of fever. She asked me the first
thing when she wakened, if I would go after
Tiny. She said she had dreamt of her all
night, and that she would never be well and
strong until Tiny came. It was in vain that
I asked her how she would get any stronger
for having the child with her. She only cried,
" Go fetch Tiny.'U After I had placed a bot-
tle of fresh water, some more crackers, and a
cup of milk on the soap-box beside her, I

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AS TOLD BY HIM8KLF. 85

went oflF to my work, thinking all the way if I
had better get Tiny ont.

It was a beantiful warm autumn day.
There was very important news in the papers ;
we sold them very fast. I had as much as I
could do for two or three hours. I was
quicker than most boys at selling papers. I
have sold two to some boys' one. I felt in
good spirits. I got my breakfast in the mar-
ket, and then sold more papers. When all
the chance of more work that morning was
over, I concluded that I would just go and
make a call at Mrs. Dunn's, and see how mat-
ters stood. As it happened, she was ironing ;
she had only a few more pieces to iron, acnd
would then fold up the clothes in her great
basket and take them home, she said. She
asked me if I would carry the basket home
for her, and then she said she would give me
five cents. I laughed at her offer. "Five
cents, indeed 1 Gentlemen paid me twenty-
five cents for less than that," I exclaimed.
." Jack, you are a lazy, ungrateful boy," she

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86 jack's stoby

said. " Here I have taken care of your little
sister these two years, and this is all the
thanks I get** " You didn't take her for my
sake or for her own. You wanted a little
girl, and you hadn't any, so you took Tiny/' I
answered. I am ashamed now when I think
how Bsacj- and unkind I used to talk, for
Mrs. Dunn did really take as much care of
Tiny as if she had been her own, although, of
course, that wasn't much.

" Just clear out of my house, you good-for-
nothing," she said, angrily, boxing ray ears.

" Now, see here, Mrs. Dunn," said I, raising
my fist, " I can right easy knock you down,
but it's no use having a row. K you're going
to treat me so I'll do it ; but if you'll act like a
decent woman, I'll treat you civiL I'm tired,
and I ain't going' on no errand for five cents,
but I'll stay here and take care of Tiny, and
fetch you a pail of water, and have your tea
ready when you get back." When Mrs. Dunn
found I wouldn't do the one thing, she made
me do the next best thing she could ; and so

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AS TOLD BY HIM8SLF. 87

puttii^ on her hood dbe went oflF with the
clothes. I brought in for her two pails of
water. I tidied np the room. I set the tea-
table, and put the kettle on to boil. Then I
took mp Tiny, and tolling her I was going to
take a walk, I went out in the street. Near
the door I met the woman who lived in the
nppeppart of the house, and I told her that I
was jttat ^^ taking out Tiny for a walk," so
that when Mrs. Dunn should come home she
might think I would soon return with the
child.

I bvou^t Tlby to our room and placed her
on the straw beside Birdie. Birdie was en-
raptured to have the child back, but the feel-
ing waa in no way returned by Tiny. She,
of course, had long since forgotten Birdie, and
she was frightened by being caught up and
hugged and kisse^ and so die began to cry,
and tried to get aw»y £rom Birdie. She, too,
had had a hard life, and she was not very
strong and hardy. She never played and
jumped about like healthy children, but

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88 JAOk'b 8T0BY

would sit Btai with her thumb in her mouth
by the hour ; bo that when Birdie cried over
her and kissed her, the child was uncomforta-
ble and worried. Then, too, poor as was the
room of Mrs. Dunn, it was handsome com-
pared to our miserable attic; and Tiny, not
having the fire to whidb she was accustomed,
and the warm drink for her supper, and seeing
everything new and strange and dark and
chilly, began to cry, and could not be pacified.
She would neither eat or drink. I was fright-
ened lest her cries should bring up Biddy
OTlaherty; and when I mentioned this to
Birdie, she became terrified, as she always
did, at an allusion to any one coming up to
our room. Birdie now began to threaten the
child and shake her to make her quiet, and to
slap her, but this had only the contrary effect ;
for however Mrs. Dunn might have been ob-
liged to leave the child and unwillingly to
neglect her, she had never really shown her
any x>ositive unkindness, and had never treat-
ed her with any severity. Tiny had not been

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AS TOI.D BY HIMSELF. 89

an hour in the honse before I heartily repent-
ed of having stolen her away, for I felt that,
although she might not receive all the care
she needed at the hands of Mrs. Dunn, neither
had she ever been treated with the harshness
she now received at the hands of Birdie. It
was only when, from sheer weariness, she fell
asleep, and she sobbed even in her sleep, that
we had any quiet.

The excitement brought fever on Birdie.
She had not on either night been as ill as she
was now, and in the morning her fever seemed
to increase instead of subsiding, as heretofore
it had done. It really seemed to me as if she
must die. I knew not what to do. I was
ashamed to go to Pat Molloy after what had
taken place ; still more ashamed to go to Miss
Gibson. I think that Tiny must have been
accustomed to sleep until very late in the day,
for she showed no signs of waking up, or I
should have carried her back to Mrs. Dunn.
The heat was so great in Birdie's head, that
at times it seemed as if she would have con-

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90 jack's story

vulsioBs. There was no way left ; it seemed
to me that I must go to Fat Molloy again for
advice. Pat understood my way of life ; he
knew what Biddy O^Mahei^ w«»; he had him-
self led the same Mnd of life I was now lead-
ing, BO I did not' feel the mortlfieationi in teU-
ing him the whote state of the ease that I
should haye felt in telling Miss Gibson.
That's the trouble always in. poor folks like
me coming to rich ladfes and; gaitlemen.
They don't understand them; they <fon't
make aUbwance enough, and so poor fblks
hide their fiiults with lies, and then they get
found out, and then rich folks cast them off.
I just made a clean breast of it, and told Pat
the whole story. It was wonderful how
changed Pat was. He had got to talk so
much like Ifiss Gibson. The change re-
minded me of a bunch of flowers she once
had in her hand when I went to see her.
After she had gone out of the room, quite
up stairs, I could smell the scent the flowers
had left in the room. So in this place where

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AS TO&D BY HIMiBELF. 91

she had been, thoagh she waa fkr awaj, yet I
could notice the effect of her presence. I
could tell she had been there by the change m
Pat He told me he» was sorry, very sorry,
finr what had happened, and advised me to
tell the^ whole tmth to Miias Gibson ; but this
I declared yery positiyefy that I wouldn't do.
He thought awhile, and then he said, ^^If
your sister is so yqry sick, perhaps Miss Gibson
ought not to go in her room. Suppose, with-
out any explanation, I just let her know to-
day (she said she would be in to-day) ; I will
let her know that Birdie is very ill with fever,
and ask what you must do?" I agreed to
this, but made him promise that he would tell
Miss Gibson nothing more. So I left and
ran home. I found Tiny awake, but the fever
made Birdie unconscious of her presence;
indeed, poor Birdie took no notice of me or
anything else. So I took Tiny up in my
arms and carried her back to Mrs. Dunn,
making up, as I went along, the flat lie that I
went out to take a little walk with her, and

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92 jack'8 btobt

elie got asleep in mj arms, and so I had to
keep her all night, because I must get the
evening papers, and so had no time to bring
her back before. Of course Mrs. Dunn
doubted my story, but she said nothing ; so I
left the child, glad to get rid of her, and de-
termining, in my own mind, never to speak
ugly to Mrs. Dunn again, for if she should
offer to give up Tiny to me, what should I
dol

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AB TOLD BY HIMBBLF. 93

CHAPTER X.

THE next morning, as I sat watching be-
side Birdie, wondering what I should
do for her, as she still 6ontinned very ill, I
heard steps coming up the stairs, and some
one knocked at the door. Birdie, as she
always did when any one approached the
door, showed ^ signs of great terror, and
although too weak to reach ont and hold me, as
she had done before, yet piteonsly begged me
to lock the door and keep every one out. Be-
fore I had determined what to do, the door
was opened, and an elderly gentleman came
in. Birdie drew up the dirty bed-cover over
her face, and began to scream and swear.
The gentleman stood just within the door a
moment and looked around the room, as if
to study the appearance of everything in
the imipnL Then he came up to me, and,

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94 JACK^ rnxmr

looking me straight in the eyes, asked,
"What is your name?" At first I felt
like telling him to mind his own business
and dear put^ bdt there was isomething
in his eye, I cannot tell what, that pre-
vented me fixnn being Bancy, so I qnietly
answered, *'Jac*, «»/' "Who is this?"
p<^ting to the bed. " Birdie, sir/' I said.
" Who is Birdiej " he continued. " My sister,
sir," I r&plied, and she b^aii to scream more
violently than before. " What is the matter
with h«r ? " he asked, getting ont his spec-
tacles and deliberately putting them on, then
going to the bed. He drew the cover from her
hands, and very quietly, but very firmly, held
it down so that he could see her face. At
this Birdie was more violent than I had^ver
seen her before. She called him aH the vilest
names that oould be thought of. He did not
notice it any more than if she had not spoken,
but he turned to me and beckoned me to him.
" Jack," said he, in a kind tone, "I am Dr.
Oibson. My daughter has spoken to me

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AS TOLD BT HDOUCLF. 95

ftbont yon. She w^iitad to ecme herself and
see yonr dek Mtar, bat I would not let her
nntil I Ind called to see if this ohild had any
emtagions fever. Kow I think you can
tmst her to my skiU, mjy boy, can't you t " I
scarcely know what I said, cmly I know that I
felt y^ry thankful, and wanted just to fdl
4own rjght at his feet and tell him so. He
tried to get hold of Birdie's wrist to feel her
pulse, and to have her open h^ mouth to see
her tongue ; but she actually spit at him, and
the words that came from her lips made me
blush for her. "Oh, sk," I cried, "she
wasn't so when poor mother lived ; she was a
good and kind and dear little girl. I don't
know what has *come oveo* her ; indeed, I
don't." " Can you tell me anything about
the people «he has been with? I thkk she
has been unkindly treated, Ja^, and that she
is broken down from the effect of cold and
htuiger and n^lect and ill-usage. I think it
is a case for my difcughter more than for me.
She can do more for her than I can, Jack."

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96 jack's btoby

Here the old gentleman took off his spectacles
and put them in the case, and then in his
pocket. He leaned his head on his hand and
looked sadly for a long time at Birdie. She
had been swearing at him, but somehow as he
«at on the soap-box looking at her, she became
silent. " My poor little one ! " he said to her,
" w6 will give you some nice things to eat and
drink, and try to build you up and make you
well; and then, maybe, some day you'll be
glad to have the old doctor come and see you.
Most of my little folks are glad when they
hear me come. Won't you be one of my nice
little folks, eh ? " I trembled least she should
begin to swear again ; but she fixed her great
brown eyes on him and said nothing. Before
he went away he gave me some powders to
give her every hour. Then, looking round
the room, he hesitated. I knew he was unde-
cided as to whether I would know the time,
so I said, " I can tell by the striking of the
church clock, sir. There's one in the street
above, sir. I can hear it plain, and I always

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AS TOlffi^ SY iMaOBLF. 9T

gdby if All rigkt, Jack; I 866 you are tt
quick-witted fellow;" he«aid. ** How do you
matttigid to liie beret" He looked around
tbo room, as 'if he diduH s^ much to maiDe
life ^very comfortable. ^

<^ Ah, sir," said I, "it'sbdter tban tbe^
stireet. I have lived in the street fdr months '-
afr a time. I do pretty, well; if I caii only
manage to geir Bitdie strong again^ I think aH
will be right."

The old gentleman spoke 'some woirds of
eistcourageitL^ttt, patted me olr the* head, and
said that some time b6 woUd cdl again,
l^en, as he was putting- hi^ handkerchief in
hb OTerooat ipccket, he preteiided to come sud-
denly upon a lafge Havana ofange. He rolled
it- awesB'the floor towawb Birdfo^s bed, a6d^
tbelt' weittr off as briskly as if he werb a boy.

The^next day Birdie w&i^ niiore quiet,* a&:d
seamed better afteri»king ther mMicine that
Dr. Gibsoi;! had left for her, and I went about
niy work feeling much happfer; I met Biddy
CSlaherfy on th^ first^pkifoiaKi of tha^seattBr

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98 . jack's 8TOBT

She was so mucli under tlie influence of liquor
that she could get neither up or down.

" O, for the love of the Vargin, help me,
Jack I ^l she cried. " No, I won't,*' said I.
" You kept all my things ; you're bad to me.
Ill never help you, the longest day you
live I " " Och, it's mad ye are I He 1 he t
he I Didn't I kape the nice things ? How's
all yer fambly, Jock; all the childext He I
hel Ye won't help yer ould Aunt Biddy,
bad luck to yee 1 "

" You aggravating, old, drunken thing, get
out of my way," said I, getting very angry.
Let me get past." "Och, by me sowl, yer
ne'er perlite ; but, for all that, ye dinna swear
like the swearin' I beam in yer garret tother
night," and she turned up her face towards
me with a hideous drunken leer. " Sure, and
ye'll tell me what's the rackit I hears for-
nenst yon door from time to time. Some
aggravatin' old drunken vagabond, eh?" I
snatched the old black hood from her head
and threw it up stairs, and then the next

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A» TOLD BT HIMSELF. 99

minute I felt ashamed of myself for showing
such petty spite towards a miserable old
woman.. Her gray hair fell in nncombed,
matted locks down her shoulders, and she
struck at me, with her naked scrawny arm, a
feeble, helpless sort of blow. " Go fetch me
hood, ye young rascal 1 Have ye no grace to
trait a puir old woman, and — and — she yer
aunt^ in such a way ? " I had been looking
up to see where I had flung the hood, but my
quick ear, caught a change in the old woman^s
tone, even before she hesitated and added the
last few words to her sentence, and looking
down I saw the cause of the change at the
foot of the staircase.

There stood Miss Gibson. How long she
had been there, I could not telL I felt guilty,
and doubtless looked so. No feelings of the
kind disturbed Biddy. "Here's the purty
young leddy; the worse fiiryees. Jack, that
she should hear ye abusin' yer puir old aimt
in sich a way."

Neither Miss Gibson or myself said a word.

'■•'irilijS?^

' IQO JACK'S 8T0BY

She waited ^ mom^it, then called someone
from tho^ carriage, and a man came np the
staircase with. her. When he came to the
pktform, he and I both took hold of Biddy,
and helped her into th(s room which I pointed .
out as here ; then closing the door, I went up
to my garret comer, followed by Miss Gibson.
Birdie heard the noise on the, staircase, and
locked the door with the padlock. ^^ Let me
in, Birdie; it's Jackl" I said. The wily
creature kept perfectly quiet. I wondered
that Miss Gibson had any patience with us.
I wondered that she did not go right off and
leave us. Then I remembered her reading to
me a verse about the "long-suffering of
Christ," and about His mercy and patience
and forgiveness, and I concluded that she
must have learned these things from her
"dear Jesus j" and I began to see how
beautiful they were in her, and therefore
how beautiful the "dear Jesus" must be.
Thoughts go very quickly through our minds.
These thoughts all passed through my mind

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AS -TOLD BT HIMSBLF. 101

in the little while that I stood, net knew*
ing what to do, before the loeked door;
but I am better at acting than thinking,
so I bestirred mysdf as to how I shotild
get in. The man had come np stairs with
ns, so I knew Birdie must have heard
his footsteps; but the lady had tripped so
lightly on the steps that I reckoned ^e coold
not' have been heard. So I called oat, ^* Here
is good Dr. Gibson again, and he has brooght
you another great big orange 1 " Miss Qib-
<son did not lock pleased, but Birdie waited a
moment, and then opened the door jnst far
^noagh 'to peep through ; bnt the moment it
was thus far open, I had no difficulty in fore-
'ing it wide open. When the child saw that
4he had been deceived, she began to swear
and to scream, and Miss Gibson looked so
worriekl that I feared she would go right
away. ^^ O, please. Miss, don't mind her. I
don't know what you think of us. I am
ashamed, indeed I am."
^^ So am I, Jack," she said. ^^ I am ashamed

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102

that anything should lead you to act as you
have done to that poor old woman on the
stairs, your aunt, and that you should deceive
your sister by forcing your way in with a lie 1 "

" She's not my aunt, ma'am 1 " I indignantly
exclaimed. " Well, she's a poor old woman.
Kever treat an old person unkindly, Jack, no
matter what they do."

Birdie, with strange contrariness, always
took my part when she thought any one else
scolded me. So now, thinking that Miss Gib-
son was finding fault with me, instantly
stopped screaming, and said, ^^ Jack's always
good to me. I always want him in. It is
you I want to keep out."

" When you know me better, I don't think
you'll want to keep me out either. I am
Jack's j&iend. Won't you let me come to see
you as poor Jack's friend ? My father says you
have been very sick, my little one. Yes, see
how thin these poor little arms are ; come, sit
on the bed, and I wU sit on the soap-box, and
let us look in this basket ; perhaps we could

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AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. 103

find something in here that you could eat.'*
She took off her bonnet, and Birdie looked
wonderingly at her beautiful hair and the
bright colors in her shawl, and her pin and
earrings. She stood besid^ her and scanned
her from head to toe, and then she gave a sigh
asif of relief. I am sure I don't know why.
Miss Gibson pretended to be overlooking the
basket, and did not notice the dirty, thin little
figure before her, with the great brown eyes
taking in eagerly everything she wore. At
last Miss Gibson brought out a bunch of
grapes. The dirty little hands of Birdie were
quickly stretched out to grasp them. " Wait
a moment," said the lady. " Let me see, you
have no table. Well, we wiU take the soap-
box for our table, and here is a napkin in the
basket; this shall be our table-cloth." She
spread the white napkin over the dirty box;
on this she laid a beautiful bunch of grapes, a
glass of jelly, some apples, and a piece of
sponge-cake. Then from the bottom of the
basket she drew a loaf of white bread, some

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l)^f >t«sa. All this placed upon the white
naplsin, niade boih Birdie's ejres and mine io
shine, and twe both began to Jianghy at which
Mia/R Gf ilpon langb^ pyo. ^' Wait; a nio^ient/'
she §aid/' as Birdie. ati^tohedout J^ Ji|tnd |o
rea^hthe temping grapf^; ^^Iw^otto^j
^^ami^thing first. I am yery sorry, Birdie, that
Jack dlioiild li^e ^hpa^ .yon .into thk^kiiig
that yon were to haye a;!^ oi?fi.9ge,^jb|Bfi^ ^^
came in. Kqw I^waut ,to tell ypa ,^neJ;h|Bg.
I wijl .never chcMEit yop, Birdie ; nether, il
hope, will I .ev^r t^U yqu a |ie. I wiBijit joa
to believe <WfB ca^JWiy^. Oth^r p^ple h^ty®
deceived you ; you must &^l ^h^t /^i^ilLni^v^r
deceive you, cli^at yqu, or tiell you a lie.
Always b^evie ^l^t I ^ay. AU the while
you are i^tiog tl|efi^ <thii|g8, l^eep thinking to
yourself ' Hm Gibson $s m^ friend ; she will
always tell me the truth.' Now one moment
more. It is from God that wo receive every
good gift, and I like to thank Him as we take
them. Now both of you fold your hands just

Digitized VGoOQIc

AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. ^IQS

80." Then she made a slunrt prayer, of which
I don't belieye Birdie heard one word, for she
.was .all the time looloDg at the table, and I
was watching her lest she should snatch at
vsometiiing. Yet, strange to say, this prayer
made such ^an impression on her, that after-
wards she would neyer .eat 4tnything without
first folding her hands, although she never
said a^wordy.and I don't tlunkever thought of
anything other than .that.

.We ate very heartily ; -for, except the beef
4ea, Miss Gibson said 'I should ishare equally
with Birdie. After we got through, she
vtalked rery tpleasantly with .us; and Birdie,
who seaned quietly fasoinated with 'her, kept
'Standing directly in front of 'her, looking at
her with those wide-open brown eyes in a
way that worried me, lest it should -displease
Miss Oibson ; but I dared not q>eak, for fear
Birdie should get angry and begin to swear.

After a while Miss Gibson b^an to sing —
it was a simple child's hynm-*-

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106

" Jeeos loves me ; this I know.
For the Bible tells me so/' etc

Her voice was very sweet. Birdie was
touched by it. " I can sing, too," she said ;
" shall I sing for yon ? " " Do, please,'' said
Miss Gibson. Birdie began a song something
about a gay young man, and then she sang of
some lovely Louisa, whose heart had been
broken, etc. Birdie had the sweetest voice to
sing I ever heard. There was something in
it, even while she was a little child, that used
to affect my mother to tears. And now, as
this poor little dirty creature stood before the
refined and beautiful woman, and threw all
the pathos of her own suffering into these
miserable street ditties. Miss Gibson began to
cry. The child cried too, affected probably
by the sight of tears in another, but she did
not stop singing. The verses were endless,
and she sang on, the tears rolling down her
unwashed face, making it look more streaked
and grimy than ever ; but the sweet childish
voice, echoing strongly through the desolate

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AS TOLD BY lilMSKLF. 107

garret, never Mtered until she came to the
end of the song. In spite of the dirt, Miss
Gibson drew the child for a moment to her,
and put her arms aronnd her. "Will you
come with me some day to my home and sing
for my father, Birdie ? " she asked. " I will
give you a nice clean dress to come in and a
pair of shoes." Then the ugly expression
came on the child's face again. " Ko, I
won't," she said, angrily; although I stood
behind Miss Gibson making signs for her not
to speak so, she would not heed me. " No,
I won't. Tou will promise me fine dresses
and rings and lockets, and then when I go
you will lock me up, and never let me out
until I am almost dead with hunger, and then
you will put a tambourine in my hands, and
make me sing for bread. You will freeze me
and stai:ve me and beat me. Oho! I've
learned your ways at last. No, no. I will
never leave this place again until you carry
me out dead. Don't talk to me about trin-
kets and jewels. You know about the woman

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108 jack's stobt

that made me run away for the promisevof
Buch .fine things, and I never got them — only
was beat and starved." Then she began to
swear, but just as suddenly stopped. She had
caught the -sad expression on Miss Gibson's
face, and it conquered her ; for, .poor thing,
ahe wasn't hardened, so > she .began to.^ry aUd
tnoan quietly. "Birdie," said Miss Gibson,
"did I not tell you that you might believe
me always. Just try* me. I will never de-
ceive you. Besides, I did not promise yon
trinkets. I ^d I would give you a clean
dress and shoes. /Frost me once. See, I; am
going to trust you." She took irom ^faer
pocket a little locket. It was made, I think,
of silver, lined with::goId, and held something
that smelled sweet and pleaaant. "Here,
Birdie," -she said, putting it in ;the <duld's
hand, "to prove that I trust you^ I am going
to leave this with you until I come i^ain, and
I have the faith to believe that you are an
honest little girl, and that when I come again
you will hand it back to me. I hope that

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AS TOLD BT flOMBLF. 1M«

when you give it back to me, you will, at the
Bame time, tell me that you can trust me. I
can do nothing for you imtil I feel that you
are willing to trust toe;"

She then bid us good-bye. The man who
had:' beim widti^ for h^r on the stairs went
ahead' to open the carriage dooty and I held'
Birdie up to the window that she ndght see
the caina^ drive off.

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110 JACXrS 6T0BT

CHAPTER XL

THAT night I went to see Pat MoUoy
after I had sold my papers. My money
was getting very low. I could see very plain-
ly that I could not support both my sister and
myself. There was no fire, and no means of
making any, in our little room, and winter
was coming on fast. I felt quite a weight of
care on my mind since I had had Birdie. I
had known poverty and want, but then I did
not mind it for myself; it was for Birdie that
I dreaded the coming winter. All this I told
to Pat. He was seated in a rocking-chair
before a little stove, and his room, although
very plain, was neat and cheerful ; to me, at
that time, it looked almost like a palace. Pat,
as I have said before, was changed very much
for the better. I could tell him all my troubles
now, and ask his advice almost as if he had

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. Ill

been an older brother. He said that perhaps
Mrs. Brown, the woman who took care of
him, would let me hire an attio-room she had,
which was not used, for the same rent that I
now paid ; and, if so, Birdie conld sit in her
kitchen by the fire all day. Then that I could
buy bread and milk and such things for her to
eat which would not need cooking, and I could
live as I did last winter, only coming home
there instead of to the room I now had.
"But," said he, "Jack, you must ask Miss
Gibson first, for I would not like you even
to ask Mrs. Brown until Miss Gibson felt it
would be for the best." "Oh," said I, "I
might make her think that Mrs. Brown had
offered me the room first, and I had accepted
the offer."

"Jack, that would not be true," said he.
" Never deceive her. She- has taught me how
much better it is to deal straightforward with
people, than to get along by cheating and
lying and deceiving. I used to think just as
you do now, that when I could " come it "

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113 jA02^ sicBr

over people, I was dbing a smatrt tbitigi; bnt;^
Jaek, it is - a- mean way. Whett Mia»<?ibse#
tells m^ a tUng I bdiere i1^ for I laiaw^BlMrf
does ndtt^ a lie; and ob, believe me, lad,,
it*s i nicet way to get along. If erery one't<^>
tbe trath, what a pleasant world it would bef
Let us at leatst do our sVajpe of tbe rigbt. Did-
yon get along any better tbe time'you' and
Biddy and all of yon tried to dedeife Msss-
Gibson?" I was compelled to own tbat I'
did not« ^^Hasf tbe padlock you stole bec^ '
any great comfort to you ? " On tbe contrary^
I had wisbed it bacfe many a tima " I'll tell
you, Jack, and mind my words, for poor Pat '
won't be very long left to you, mind my
words, be honest and truthful; don't cheat
and lie and steal. It makes you braver and
bolder to be able to look every one in the
face, than to go sneaking and cheating like a
liar and scoundrel. It's better even in this
world; but how much better it will befor yon
in the next world 1 "

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▲8 TOLD BT HIMSELF. 113

"Why, Pat, this is something new for yon,
isn't it, old fellow, to feel this way ? "

^^Yes, Jack, it is; but the more I thiok
over lying, and swearing, and stealing, and
cheating, the worse they seem ; and the more
I think over how Jesus loves ns and wants ns
to be good, the better such things seem. I'm
sorry I was so bad, and nsed to teach you and
the other boys so much mischief I'm asking
God every day to help me to be good."

I felt as much surprised as if I had seen
Fat stand up in the pulpit and preach. I
knew he was changed, but I had an idea it
was because he was sick, and couldn't very
well domineer over me as he used to, and -I
thought it was because he wanted to please
Miss Gibson, who had made him so comfort-
able, that he tried to appear well. I was sur-
prised, indeed, to find that he really wanted
to be good, and that he hated sin, for its own
sake. Thinks I— Jack, are you so bad as to be
lying and cheating, when other folks are
trying to be good t

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114 jack's btoby

Pat Bat still a while to let me tliink over
what he said, and then he turned to me again.
*' My boy," said he — ^Pat often used to call me
BO when he was in a good hnmor as we were
pitching pennies in the street — ^''my boy, you
know I can't do much for folks any more, but
as Miss Gibson says, it is pleasant to do what
we can for others. If you want me, I will
apeak to her about your hiring Mrs. Brown's
room, and if she thinks best, I will also speak
to Mrs. Brown." I felt thankful to Pat, and
really felt quite cheerful as I left him, for his
eyes looked so very bright, even if he was thin
and pale, and I kept feeling all the time that
he would get well, and we should all have a
pleasant time together.

A few days after this. Miss Gibson came
again to our room. I had just got in from
my morning's work.

" I am glad to see you, Jack," she said, ^ for
I have a little matter of business which I wish
to talk to you both about. Birdie, I want your
opinion as well as Jack's," This seemed to

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. IIS

please Birdie ; she looked rerj sober and *at-
tentiye> and as if she felt pleased that her
opinion was of any importance. She had not
padlocked the door when she heard Miss Gib-
son's step on the stairs, and thou^ she would
not at first look up or speak, yet she gradually
drew near Miss GibsoUi and at last stood
directly in front of her, with eyes fixed in-
tently upon her as before. I asked Birdie to
stand back a little, but she motioned me im-
patiently away, and I was afraid to insist
upon it lest, in her irritation, she should use
bad words again ; so now she sto<t>d, with her
hands fdded behind her, right in ^nt of Miss
Gibson, as if she meant to take in every look
and every word.

^' Kow I want you both to listen to a plan
I have thought o£ You need not give mie an
answer to>day ; think over it and talk over it
together. Eemember, Birdie, I never deceive
you ; I never cheat you or tell you n lie. If
you do not want to take my plan, you need
not do it. Did I not trust youj Birdie i "

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116

The ciild ran to a comer of the bed, and
out from the straw she pnlled the locket, and
handed it back to the lady, as much as to
say, Yes, there is the pledge. Miss Gibson
received it as such. "Now, will you trust
mef^^ The child nodded her head.

"My plan," continued Miss Gibson, "is
this : There is a vacant room in the attic of
Mrs. Brown's house. It is divided by a parti-
tion ; there could be placed a bed each side
of the partition — on the one side a little bed
for you, Birdie; on the other side, one for
Jack. Birdie could eat at the table with Mrs.
Brown, and you could both find a place at
her fire. You would both be more comfort-
able than you are now, and Birdie would feel
safer, for there would always be some one in
the house with her."

" Oh, how nice that would be. Miss Gib-
son ; that would be just what I wanted I " said
I ; " wouldn't it be nice. Birdie ? " She said
not a word.

" I do not want you to give me an answer

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Afi TOLD BY HIMSELF. 117

now," Miss Gibson continued, "because, if
you conclude to accept of the arrangement,
there is one thing Mrs. Brown requires of you,
and she will not take you in her house with-
out it. She is a very clean, tidy woman.
She will not have you in her rooms unless you
are perfectly clean. To make you so, she
desires that you both take a bath, and put on
entirely new clothes. The charitable society
of our church will provide a nice suit and
under-clothes for you. Jack, and I will provide
the same for Birdie."

" I should like to be clean. Miss Gibson,"
said I ; " but I don't want charity."

" I will tell you how you can manage that,
Jack : accept the nice new clothing, and make
a present from time to time out of your earn-
ings to the society. That will show your
gratitude. It is a mean thing to accept of
favors, and never show gratitude in return. I
do not believe Mrs. Brown will take you in
her clean room unless you promise that. I
will tell you where to go for your bath, and

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118 jack's 8T0KT

I would be willing to take Birdie myself.
Here is a parcel containing clothes for Birdie
if she wishes to go. Of course if she wishes to
remain hwe, her old clothes will answer." I
felt almost beside myself with joy at the way
Miss Gibson had laid the matter before Birdie;
for I knew that if I had asked her plainly, she
would haye refused, but I knew the effect
upon her the sight of the new clothes would
have. Miss Gibson carefully untied the
parcel which the serrant had carried in.
There was a pretty red calico dress and a
brown one, two white aprons, two dark ones,
under-clothing, plaid, woolen stockings, a
quilted sack, and a bright worsted hood.
There were also four little pocket-handker-
chiefs and a bright red ribbon to tie up her
hair.

Birdie gazed upon these treasures with eyes
open to their greatest size. She never, for a
second, turned from the contents of the parcel.
She really seemed transfixed at the thought of
those treasures ever being hers. After she

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 119

had examined them all thoroughly, Miss Gib-
son very deliberately folded them all up again,
tied the parcel as it was before, and bid the
man carry them down to the carriage. Birdie
said not one word. Then Miss Gibson took
from her satchel a large orange, and said to
Birdie, "Here, little one; I brought this
orange so as to try and make Jack's promise
good. Tou know he said that you were to
have a large orange. I am afraid he deceived
you. Now take this as representing the one
you then expected to have."

I thanked Miss Gibson over and over again,
and told her how glad I would be to accept
her offer; but she insisted in not receiving
any answer until we should have talked the
matter over together.

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120 jack's stobt

CHAPTER XII.

A WEEK from that very day beheld
Birdie and myself*, in our new clothes,
going in to take possession of our new room.
Birdie had a nice little bed, and a clean white
coverlid on it. She had a bedstead, mind
you; we each had one. There was a low
chair beside her bed, and the same beside
mine. She had a little chest of drawers with
a glass on it. A wash-stand and a little low
bench with a china-faced doll on it, stood in
one corner. I also had a wash-stand in my
room ; think of that I I had never had a
wash-stand before. There were pegs to hang
my clothes on, and a low table with a drawer
in it which could lock, for me to keep my
earnings in I I never saw anything so beauti-
ful in my life I I could hardly believe my
eyes. I had slept for years on a bunch of

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AS TOLD BY HIM-IXF. 121

straw, with an old dirty quilted coverlid and
a toiTi sheet I Here was a real bedstead, nice
white sheets, a new gay calico quilt, and all
for me I I had washed at the street pump.
Now I was to have a basin on a real wash-
stand, and a clean towel hung beside it. In-
stead of the old soap-box, here was a nice
chair, which I could place before my little
table, and then pull open my drawer, and
take out my money and count it over on my
table I Could you believe it possible 1 I
don't think there was ever made such beauti-
ful furniture as there was in that room 1 All
the furniture I have since seen was as nothing
compared with it I Birdie and I were really
to have things like other people. "Birdie,
my lass, you're a queen 1" said I; "let me
kiss you," and I sat down on her little chair,
and then on mine, to try which was most com-
fortable; and I placed my chair before the
window, and sat on it to look out of the win-
dow, and then before the table to see if it was
the right height. I wished it was night, that

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122 JACK S STOST

I miglit tiy the bed. T rubbed my face with
the dean towel just to notice how it felt, for
I had really been scmbbed so clean in the
bath, that my cheeks were polished. Birdie's
cap was the only thing we had brought with
us; it was placed on her chest of drawls
beside the glass. ^'Oh, do you think there
was ever such a beautiful place ? " said I, again
catching up Birdie and kissing her. Her bed
had a white coverlid on it — snow white — think
of that I The two little rooms were divided
by a partition, and there was a door opening
from one to the other, and a door from each
into the hall. As I happened to look up,
there in the hall stood Miss Gibson. She had
been looking at me all the time. I stopped
suddenly, and then she laughed. She did
look so happy, and I felt so happy, that I
think we understood each other. I am sure
no words could have expressed what I felt
towards her for all her kindness. Birdie
didn't say a word, but there was a strange
calmness in her face such as I hadn't seen

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AS TOLD BY HlileELF. 123

Bince I had found her again. There was a
quietness about her which reminded me of
old times. She was now more like mother.
Mother was never a noisy woman. I don't
like noisy women. " Miss Gibson," I said,
" how can I ever thank you enough for this
plan? Birdie, come here; thank this good
lady.'* "Wouldn't it be well, children, to
thank our Father in heaven ? " she said, and
she closed the door and took one on one side
of her and one on the other, and we knelt
down beside the bed, and she made a prayer.
What do you think she said? Why, she
thanked our Father in heaven for giving us
those things. She thanked Him for giving us
to her to love, and for allowing her to help
us. She asked God to make us love Him,
and to make us good, and many things like
that. It seemed so strange, that I could not
help asking her, when we got up, why we
should thank God when it was she gave us
these things. Miss Gibson said that it was God
who put it in her heart ; that the gift came

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124 JACKS 8T0BT

from Him tliroQgli her. She said it was a
great privilege to be allowed to work for God,
and with God. " Co-workers with Him," so
she expressed it "Do you think," I said,
"that God wonld let m^ work for Him?
What could I do for Him?" She said that
the least thing done in a kind spirit to any
one, for Christ's sake. He considers as done to
Him. " You do a great deal for the * dear
Jesus,' don't you ? " I said. " No, Jack ; not
half as much as I want to dd. I want to give
all my time, all my talents, all njy work, all
my love, entirely to Hini, doing everything
just as well as I can do it, just for His sake."

"Have you been so kind to us for His
sake f " I asked.

"Yes," she said, "for His sake. He told
me to be kind to you. He tells me to be kind
to all."

" But you have plenty of money to do good
with. Could I do good ? "

"Certainly you could. Jack. Every little
act of kindness that you do to any one, if you

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AS TOLD BY HIM8BLF. 125

do it because jon want to please Him, He
accepts just as if done to Himself.'^

I couldn't quite understand it yet.

" Well, Jack, try to do good for Jesus' sake,
and then all I said will be made plain to you.
S^n with giving your own heart to God as
the first gift, and then keep on doing good."

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126 jack's stobt

CHAPTER XIII.

A FTEE this, everything went on comfort-
jl\^ ably for us in our new home. We
began both of ub to try and do as well as we
could. I resolved to leave off lying and steal-
ing and cheating, and to do everything that I

thought would please I wanted to say

Jesus, but when I examined into my own
heart, I could see that it was Miss Gibson I
wanted to please. But I was beginning more
and more to love Jesus, and I felt that I
should soon be able to say for Jesus' sake.

Dr. Gibson got a place for me. He said that
ho thought he could place me where I would
make more than by selling papers. I told
him that I would be obliged to him, and
would do anything he thought best ; but at
the same time that I could never go in a dry-
goods store and be a cash-boy ; such namby-

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AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. 127

pamby work would take all the spirit out of
me. He said that the place he had in view
was in the Iron Works. Ah, that was just
the thing, so I left off selling papers, and
entered my new place at once. Birdie was
very comfortable. She used to keep her room
and mine in excellent order. She helped Mrs.
Brown, and worked very cheerfully with her
all day. When all the house work was
finished, Mrs. Brown would teach her to sew
and dam and mend. Sometimes she would
play with her doll in Pat Molloy's room, or
sit beside Pat and have him tell her stories.
Pat's influence over her was very good, for he
talked to her just as Miss Gibson talked to
him, and as fast as he discovered a new truth
he imparted it to her. I sometimes think that
we can learn more, from a mind that is not so
far above us, for those who know so much
cannot take the measure of our ignorance or
of our wisdom. Some things they do not
make plain enough, and others they confuse
by over-explaining. Pat could judge from

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128 jack's btoey

his own case just where her deficiency lay,
and he took great delight in teaching her, for
it was the only way open to him in which
he might do good. Miss Gibson says that
every real Christian wants to work for Christ,
and is not satisfied nnless there is some way
in which he can do so. Pat felt it to be a
pleasant duty to teach Birdie all that he
knew. She, in return, could do much for
him,' and she relieved Mrs. Brown very much
by waiting and tending on Pat. Mrs. Brown,
besides teaching her household work and sew-
ing, began to teach her to read. This was a
real pleasure to the child, for she was so
anxious to learn. After I got accustomed to
my new place, I felt ashamed that I could not
read myself; so at Dr. Gibson's suggestion I
went to night school. I did not find learn-
ing to read half as hard as I thought it would
be. We both went to Sunday-school now,
and we took turns to go with Mrs. Brown to
church, one of us always remaining at home
with Pat. We were thus, as you can see, a

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AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. 129

very happy family. I do not think there was
ever a single word of fanlt-finding among ns.
Every one of us respected the feelings of the
others. . We all began to love one another.
Mrs. Brown became very fond of ns children.
She was a sweet-tempered, good, Christian
woman, and we began to love her, and at her
own suggestion, to call her Aunt Anne.
Thns love governed our honsehold, uid was
the law there, and we were not slow in notic-
ing its sweet refining influence. We used to
rise early, so that- 1 could get my breakfast
and be at my work in time ; but no matter
how early we were obliged to rise, Aunt
Alpine always had prayers before breakfast,
and this family worship was held in Pat's
room, because he was not strong enough to
sit up all day, and therefore did not rise until
eleven o'clo<i. Mrs. Brown was very neat,
jmd taught Birdie to be so ; and Birdie soon
began to go singing about h^ work in a way
that showed how happy she was. Her fright-
ened, terror-stricken look left her entirely ;

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130 JACK'S 8T0KY

and although she had a sad expression for one
of her age, there- came a sweet, reposeful look
in her face which made her very winning.
Miss Gibson first called my attention to it.
She said it was very touching. It would be
utterly impossible for me to tell the effect of
the influence of Miss Oibson upon Birdie.
The one was the beautiful, rich, gifted Chris-
tian woman; the other the poor, ignorant,
outcast child of the street. Looking back, I
understand it now better than I did then ; but
at that time it was to me a perpetual wonder
that Miss Gibson should read Birdie's heart
and mind so easily, and still more that Birdie
should so readily comprehend Miss Gibson.
It seemed to me at times as if they could read
each other's thoughts, for often a mere hint
from Miss Gibson was enough for Birdie.

I do not mean that all this change of which
I have been speaking both in Birdie and my-
self was sudden. On the contrary, we were
almost two months with Aunt Anne before
there was any change perceptible ; but it was

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AS ToXiD wr wammjf* 131

as when the sun begms to tnrn back from his
winter's path; slowly and surely the signs of
coming spring appear, until, at last, birds and
grass, buds and flowerSi warm air and pleas-
ant sunshine have come imperceptibly, but
surely, and you find the summer in all its
loveliness is with you.

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132 rjkxm^s «rcniT

CHAPTER XIV.

AS soon as Birdie had got well and strong
-XTjL enongh to go out, Miss Gibson had told
me that I must bring her to Sunday-school;
and I must tell you about the first time.
Aunt Anne had washed her dress and pretty
little apron, and had bought her a hat, which
I thought made her look very sweet, because
it had a bright ribbon on it.

I was wonderfully impatient on that Sun-
day, and wanted to have Birdie put on her
new things right away ; but Aunt Anne said
No, lest she should soil them before it was
time to go. She said that Birdie must be
taught to keep her clothes very neat and nice.
It shows a very ungrateful temper to spoil
things immediately that have been given to
you. That is what she said, and I think it is
true. I often wonder that ladies do not

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A8 TOLD BT HIM8RLF. 183

get diBconraged in fitting out poor children
for Sunday-school ; these children are so care*
less with the things which are given them. I
was glad that Aunt Anne was going to teach
my Birdie to be neat and tidy, only I felt
anziouB to see her dressed up like <^her chil-
dren,, and it seemed as if the momilig was
longer than usual. When at last Birdie cam^e
into my room all dressed, I was Te*y proud
of her, and made her turn round two or
three times in the middle of the room, that I
might see just how nice she looked. Then
Afmt Anne got a primer out of the drawer
and folded Birdie's handkerchief around it,
and kissed her, and put her hand in mine,
and we walked off as happy, nay, peihapa,
happier, than if we had been the richest chil-
dren in the city. Birdie skipped along, and a
bright color came in her cheeks, and I held
her hand tightly lest she should get lost. I
had my Bible under my arm, and I felt very
proud of having a little sister to go with ma
We had a long walk to take, and Birdie, what

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134 JAOK^S 8T0BY

was always a timid ehild^ but is more so than
ever since the frightened life she led under
the old harper, soon left off skipping, and
clung more doselj to me as we approached
the larger thoroughfares. When we entered
the school-room I took her into the seat with
me. Miss Oibson had not come. A tall
fellow named Tom began to quiz me about
having a girl with me. I took no notice of
him, and then he began to tease Birdie, pull-
ing the string of her hat, and trying to hide
away her handkerchief. What with the large
room, so strange and unlike anything she had
ever seen, and the crowds of new faces, and
then this thoughtless fellow tearing her, Birdie
became very much frightened, and b^an to
cry out loud. I tried in every kind way to
hush her up. I promised her candy, and
tried every coaxing art, but all in vain. I
took her on my knee, and untied her hat, and
laid it beside me on the seat. Her face was
all red, and some of the other boys joined
Tom in making fun of me and calling me a

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AB TOLD BY HIMSELF. 185

nurse, but I felt so worried about Birdie that
I paid no attention to them. Presently I saw
Miss Gibson standing near the library. Then
I thought she would come and help me, and I
wondered very much that she did not. I
began to think she was ashamed of Sirdie,
and that made me feel angry, for I said to
myself, " If you only knew all the poor little
thing had had to bear long ago, you would
not wonder that she gets so easily fiightened.''
After a while Miss Gibson came and brought
with her from the library a bright picture
card. When I saw that she had all the while
been looking for that, then I felt that I had
been unjust to her. Birdie is fond of pictures,
and Miss Gibson took her on her lap and
talked to her about the picture, and showed
her the infant Saviour and His mother, and
the cattle beside the manger, until she forgot
her fears, and b^an herself to talk to Miss
Gibson, and to look pleased, with only a sob
now and then, and her red face to show of her
previous fears. Miss Gibson smoothed down

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136 JACK'S 8TOBT

her hair very gently, and brushed back the
curls, and then tied on her hat, and placed
her on the seat dose beside herself where
Birdie sat intently looking at the picture in
her hand, until tiie heat of the room and the
quiet hum of the chil^n's voiced made her
feel drowsy, and she fell asle^, with her head
on Miss Gibson^B arm. I was aivaid our de^
teacher might iK)t like to have the littld curly
head on her nice dress, and I o£S&red to waken
her up, but she said, "Nev^r mind, Jack;
don't wake her. Poor little thing, she is
sleeping so quietly 1 "

Our lesson that day was on God's care over
us; and Miss Gibson explained how G^d
watches over us aU the time, and knows all
we do and say, and how He feels for us. He
pities us as none other can. After explaining
it to us, she told us that we should also love
and pity each other; that tenderness was a
feeling attributed to God; and yet we boys
were often ashamed of it. She then turued
to me and said, " Jack, I was so pleas^ to see

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 137

the tenderness and pity with which you tried
to pacify your little sister, and I was also
ashamed that some of my other boys tried to
laugh at you. Boys, all of you remember,
that to be pitiful and tender and patient and
loving, is to be more like God. To be mali-
cious and cruel and provoking, is to be lika
Satan. Be careful to cultivate the God-like
qualities — ^to shun those which lead you down-
ward. I saw you through it all, Jack, al-
though you did not see me. I was watching
how you would stand the test of temptation."

" Ah, ma'am," said I ; " I am not as good
as you think me, for when you were at the
library I wondered you did not come to my -
help, for all the school was looking at me;
and because you did not come right away, I
thought you was ashamed of Birdie, and that
made me feel angry."

" Jack," she said, " that is the way we often
treat God. He stands watching us in our
troubles; He sees just what we are going
through ; He knows We will be the better for

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138 JACK'S STORY

the trouble, so jnst at that time He does not
come to relieve us, but He sees it all, and
knows it, and feels glad when He sees us
doing just the right thing ; and when it is
the right time for Him to come to our relief,
then He comes, and we feel relieved and com-
forted."

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AS TOLD BY HDfSELF. 139

CHAPTER XV.

I SHALL not soon foiget the first time I
ever attended chnrcli. To those who
have been in the habit of going every Snnday
from their very childhood with their parents,
it may seem strange that I should have been
so much impressed. Snch persons must bear
in mind that I never before had entered with-
in a church door. ISo one had ever described
to me anything about the interior of a church,
or the method of church service ; no one with
whom I had hitherto associated had ever gone
to church. Biddy OTlaherty used to talk
sometimes about going to the priest, just as
she talked of going to the butcher or baker ;
but I never associated her with any ideas of
worship, so that to me all that is meant by
religion or religious service was vague indeed.
The churches which I saw in my newspaper

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140 . jack's 8TOBT ^

rounds were no more to me than the banks,
the city haU, or any other public place. If
any distinction existed in my mind between
the two, it only lay in the fact that the one
class of buildings was open on Sunday, the
other during the week. Few diari^bte hdie»
and gentlemen can realize how wide a diamon gjB'
ists between their own children, who have been
instructed from their earliest years in Gospd
truths, and us poor children of the street, who
grow up without any knowledge^ of these
things. In the one case, they are taught so
early that they have no recollection of the
impression made upon their minds at the
time ; in the other, these things come to us as
the discoveries which men make when their
minds are ripened.

Miss Gibson wanted Birdie and myself to
go to church. It was a very natural thing to
her, a very new one to us. Aunt Anne could
not leave Pat that day, so we were sent off
alone, with directions where to go and how to
behave, and instructions the chief of which

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AS TOLD BY HDfeELF. 141

was that we were to sit very still and not
make any noisl^.

Hand in hand we went, two perhaps as
ignorant little ones as ever stood before the
hoose' of God. For a few moments we loitered
At the entrance to look np with childish won-
der at the great stone front and the tall spire,
and to listen to the bell as it slowly and
solemnly tolled the call to service. Then we
entered where a crowd of richly dressed ladies
were passing in. Gray-haired old gentlemen,
each taking off his glossy beaver, passed
within the door ; and younger men seemed to
loiter a while in the porch, or to lean over and
speak to some gay young Miss among his ao-
qugintances. We drifted in with the rest.
In^de I stood still a moment, blinded by the
Sudden transition from the sunlight without
tia the sombre shade within. Then Birdie
tmd I looked up to the high-arched ceiling
with perfect amazement; the taU windows
de^ set in the walls, the black walnut desk,
the velvet cushion^ the carvings about the

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14:2 jack's stobt

pnlpit; upon each and all we stood gazing
in the mute astonishment of an unexplained
novelty. No one noticed us, so we went on
with the rest. We walked up the middle
aisle as did others before us, and all uncon-
sciously we went on until we reached the very
last pew — ^Birdie with her head thrown far
back to look up at the ceiling, which had
attracted her fancy, and I drawing her slowly
after me by the one hand held in mine. When
1 saw it was possible to go no fartha*, I drew
her into the pew and lifted her up and placed
her on the red damask cushion, and took my
seat beside her. Seeing the gentlemen with-
out hats, I took off mine, and hesitated if I
must do the same for Birdie ; but seeing some
little girls (and I could not help contrasting
their finery with Birdie's appearance) with
their hats on, I smoothed back the curls under
her hood without taking it off. Presently a
lady and gentleman entered the pew; they
looked at us with some surprise, and the gen-
tleman motioned us to move farther in. I did

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AS TOLD BY HDCSELF. 143

not think that the lady seemed much pleased
to have ns there; bat I was nnconscious of
any reason for her feeling so, and we were
quite innocent of having done anything nn-
nsnal in taking the seat. Presently the organ
began to play. It had a great effect npon
Birdie. She clasped both her little hands
tightly together, and seemed to take the music
in with every sense. I have noticed since
that music affects h^ more than anything
else. I cannot quite understand myself why
she should be so much more affected by it
than I am; but Miss Gibson understands
why, and she says that Birdie has an un-
usually fine ear for music, and great taste for
it. That must be so if MisB Gibson says it ;
but I cannot yet see how it is that she should
be so carried away and excited whenever she
hears music. The organ played for a time,
and then some people up in the rear gallery
sang. I did not like it much, for I couldn't
see why first a lady should sing, and then a
gentleman, and then they sang together, and

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144 JACKS 8TQBT

then stopped an instant, and then all tdgethw
again, and so on until there was a load crash-
ing sound of organ and voices, and then they
were silent and it was done. I lo(^ed at
Birdie, and she seemed to like it, so I thought
it must be all right. Presently an eldarly
gentleman rose in the pulpit, and said, ^^Let
us ask God's presence and blessing." Then
every one put down their heads, and seeing
every one else, we did the same; but I
couldn't help peeping through my fingers to
see if I was doing right I noticed Birdie did
the same, but she kept looking at the minister.
He had a pleasant face, but when he began he
spoke so low that we could not understand
what he was saying. When he got through,
he read a hymn, and after the organ played
again they sang. This pleased Birdie, as I
could see by the calm and satisfied look that
came over her face. Then the minister read
a chapter, first from the Old Testament and
then from the New, He read the story of
David and Goliath, and this has been a fSetvorr

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 145

ite chapter of mine ever since. Somehow I
could understand how David felt when that
great fellow came up there and made fun of
his brothers and all folks on his side, and
dared them to fight. Thinks I, How can he
stand that ? and then when David agreed to
go at the saucy great giant, thinks I, Good
for him I I was glad he didn't take the king's
armor; I didn't see how he could fight in a
brass jacket. When he went to take the little
stones from the brook, I got sort of afraid for
him, for I could'nt well see how he was going
to work. "When he spoke about going against
the giant in the name of the Lord, thinks I,
That's just what Miss Gibson always says, go
ahead, trusting in the the Lord ; if you put
your trust in the Lord, He will help. Thinks
I, I'll bet on his side. Sure enough the giant
fell dead, killed by a little stone from the
sling of the shepherd-boy, and all his army
ran away. Ever since I heard that old gen-
tleman read about David — and he read in a
very clear, loud voice — ^I have liked that

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146 MOK'b 8T0BT

chapter, and I like David, When after-
wards I came to read the Psalms, I liked
David still more, for he says just what I
have many a time thought and felt After
this there was more singing and praying, and
then came the sermon. Birdie got fast asleep,
for the church was very warm, and she wasn't
accustomed to sit still so long. I put my arm
around her to keep her up, and although at
times I felt sleepy myself— for I'm not used to
sit still either — still I tried very hard to keep
awake, lest Birdie should fall off the seat if I
let go of her. There was one part of the ser-
mon which struck me, and that was : he said
that all Christians should meet the sins and
temptations of life, as David did this giant, in
reliance upon God, and with prayer to Him for
help. I wondered if the minister meant that
all the Christian people who had plenty to eat
and drink and fine clothes to wear, had sins
and temptations to meet as well as I. I
meant to ask God to help me every time I
was in trouble, just as David did; but it

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 147

seemed to me that no one could liave as many
sins and temptations as I, and looking around
over the people I wondered if these also had
had to fight the great giant sin. Then it
seemed strange to me that for so many years
these good people had been assembling Sun-
day after Sunday to worship, while I never
had; and it seemed strange that they had
been praying for me, and I did not know it ;
for had not I heard the minister pray for the
poor, the homeless, the children of want, and
those who did not pray for themselves ? Truly
I was of such; and here the children of God
had met and prayed for me ! Prayed when I
knew nothing about it ! I vn^ed and hoped
that their prayers might be answered, although
I did not know exactly in what way ; and in
my innermost heart I asked God to help and
teach me. Thus, although I did not under-
stand all the sermon, I think I was the better
for going to church that day. When the ser-
vice was over, I followed the crowd out.
Aunt Anne had asked me to bring home the

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148 jack's btobt

text. I am sure I did not know what she
meant, supposing it was something that would
be handed me to bring home. Birdie wanted
me to wait in the vestibule until the organ
ceased playing. We did so, and presently, as
aU the congregation had left the church by
this time, the minister passed us on his
way out. He stopped a moment and patted
Birdie cm the head and asked her name ; but
she shrunk close to me and did not answer.
Then the sexton came blustering about us,
and bid us run home, because he wanted to
close the church. I did not go there again,
for Miss Gibson told us of a little mission
church nearer home, and I liked it better than
the great large church. Somehow it seemed
more natural to me, and more home-like.
After this, every Sabbath, Birdie, Aunt Anne,
and I, went in turn regularly to the little
mission church.

That afternoon, in Sunday-school, I told
Miss Gibson that Birdie and I had been to
church. She asked me what the text was. I

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AS TOLD BY UIM6ELF. 149

told her I hadn't seen any text, but if she
wanted to know what he talked about I could
tell her, if she would excuse me for telling, it
in my own words. She said, " Well, Jack,
let us hear it in your own words." So this is
what I told her :

^^ There was once a great big giant, so tall
that he used a beam for a cane to walk with,
and thiere was a rosy-cheeked boy named
David, who had come to see the soldiers.
His brothers were soldiers on one side, and
the great giant was one of the generals on the
other side. The giant was very wicked, and
swore and used bad words, and he offered to
whip anybody that would fight him. David
was a plucky little fellow, and he couldn't
stand that, so he said he'd fight the giant.
The king was somewhere" about, and he said
he'd do something handsome for the man that
would kill the giant ; and when he heard that
a little fellow named David was going to try,
he sent for him to talk the matter over.
David wanted to have his own way as to how

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150 jack's story

he'd attack the giant, so the king let him do
as he pleased. Then he went down to the
stream and put some stones in a sling, and
slung one right np into the giant's forehead,
and hit him so hard that the stone went right
into his head, and he fell down dead."

Miss Gibson langhed, and said she believed
I'd got the story about right. Then she found
the chapter, and read it over for us boys, and
we talked about it. She asked each one of us
what we might learn from the story. Among
other things, one of the boys said he thought
we could see how that it wasn't size and
strength and power that helped us along in
the world, but trusting in the Lord, and
trying to do what is right. Miss Gibson
said that was a very good lesson to learn from
it. She said that we had all of us a stronger
giant to fight than David had ; the sin in our
hearts was harder to conquer than anything
else, and we were to fight manfully against it.
We promised her to try, and many times
since, when I've been tempted to lie or steal

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 151

or get angry and say bad words, I say to my-
self, '^ There is the great giant again come to
fight against yon, Jack ;" and then I pray softly
for help, and try to conquer the sin. If a boy
wants to conquer his bad habits, he has got to
watch himself; and whenever they seem to
get the better of him, he must ask the Lord to
help him, and be determined to fight against
them — that's the only way. Take my advice,
boys, and don't let your sins put you down —
you put thefn down.

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152 jack's 8T0BT

CHAPTER XVI.

THERE were times when Ann MoUoy,
Pat's sister, gave me much trouble and
uneasiness. All that Miss Gibson said or did
for her never changed her for the better. She
was very sly and underhanded, and given to
lying and stealing. She would often tell a
long story of how she tried to get work, but
could not succeed, and how poor she was.
Then when Miss Gibson gave her any money,
she would spend it in some improper way.
She was once in the House of Correction ; and
she was scarcely more than a year free when
she was taken up for stealing, and put in the
Penitentiary. At times she came to visit
Pat, and the excitement caused by her ap-
pearance made him much worse. Birdie
dreaded her visits. I think she was a per-
petual reminder to Birdie of what she might

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 153

have been herself had she been left to her
own street life; for I remember one day,
after 'a visit from Ann, I found her on her
knees crying and praying; and as she rose
up she said to me, ^' Oh, Jack, I once talked
just like Ann Molloy, and I am afraid the
dear Jesus has not forgotten it ; but Pat says
if I am very sorry for my sins, Jesus not only
pardons them, but forgets them. *Our sins
and our iniquities He will remember no
more.' I think those were the words he used.
I want Him never to think of my sins any
more, or to remember how very wicked I was,
for I do feel so badly when I think of my past
wickedness. Jack, do you think He will not
only forgive but forget them ? "

" Would you believe Miss Gibson if she told
you she would do a thing ? " I asked.

" Yes, of course I would," she answered.

"Then," said T, "why don't you believe
what the dear Jesus saysl "

" Oh, I try to. Jack, but it seems so won-
derful to me that the Lord should forgive all

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154 JACK'S STOBT

my sins not only, but forget them, when I
was even as wicked as Ann. I wish He
would forgive her."

"She wiU not ask Him,"! said. "She
does not feel sorry for her sins."

Ann gave me a great deal of trouble, as
well as Pat. She saw that I was ashamed of
her and of her ways, and that I wanted to
have nothing to do with her ; so she used to
tease and annoy me in every possible way.
She got in the way of coming in the yard
where I was at work. It was against all
rule for any one to do this, but she would
manage to glide in slyly when the doors or
gates happened to be open. The overseers
ordered her out whenever they saw her, and
then she would abuse them, and tell them
that I was her friend, and that she <3ame in to
see me. It was no use that I protested against
this, and said that she must not be allowed to
come in; the boys would insist on speaking
of her as "Jack's friend." This mortified me,
for she was not the kind of girl that I wanted

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AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. 155

to have known as my friend. She wonld tell
the workmen that I was as bad as she was ;
that I used to lie and steal and cheat, but
that I had " come it," as she expressed it, over
a fine lady who got me this place, and now I
wanted to act prond and shake off my old
friends; but that they better look out, for I
was no better than I should be. She used to
tell them, also, that I was a canting hypo-
crite ; that I pretended to talk like a parson
about wanting to be good, and praying and
asking God to forgive my sins; but she
thought it would be better to leave off my
wicked ways first, and then it would be time
enough to pray. So in this way Ann did me
a great deal of harm. I did not like to tell
Birdie about it, for fear of worrying her ; and
I would not tell Miss Gibson, for 1 knew Pat
would be sorry to have her know how mali-
cious Ann was ; but I often used to talk about
this matter with Aunt Anne, and she used to
say, "Well, Jack, be so patient and indus-
trious and kind to them all, that they will see

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156 JACK'S 8T0BT

Ann is mistaken in what she says about
you.'* One day Mr. Sampson, the overseer of
my part of the shop, came to where J was, to
show me how to do some work which was new
to me and required some direction. While he
was talking, a carman came up to be paid.
The overseer took out his pocket-book and
paid him, and then rather carelessly laid
down the pocket-book on the table. It was a
queer little round wallet. I remember think-
ing he must have brought it with him from
the old countries, as he was a Scotchman.
Before he got through with me he was called
off again in some other direction, and, mean-
time, I went on with my work. While he
was away Ann MoUoy came in, and seeing no
one near me, she came fearlessly up to where
I was working, and sat down. " I wish you
would go away, Ann," said I. "Give me
twenty-five cents and I'll not trouble yer,"
she replied.

"I'll not give you a cent; you'd spend it
all for liquor."

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AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. 157

"Not a drap do I ever take/' she said, fol-
lowing the assertion with an oath.

" Do go away, Ann," I said ; " there comes
Mr. Sampson ; you know he'll have you put
out." She was determined not to move ; and
when the overseer came back to me, she was
very saucy to him as he ordered her to go
out,

" Ye might let me sit abit to rest me beside
me fiiend here," she said.

" She's not my &iend, sir," I said, angrily.

"Och," she said, with a knowing wink,
which made the blood rush to my face, "ye're
yet to learn about Jack. He's a cunning ras-
cal. When ye know him as well as I do, ye'U
ne'er trust him as ye do now. Just wait abit.
Ye'll soon see."

Mr. Sampson ordored one of the men to put
her out, and then finished his instructions to
me. As he was about leaving me, he drew
from his pocket a great yellow handkerchief,
and then his tobacco-box and his spectacle-
case, and felt in his several pockets as if in

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158 jack's 8TOBT

Bearcli of Bomething, and then suddenly recol-
lecting himself, he turned to me and said :

'* I believe I was very careless, and left my
wallet on your bench, Jack."

I looked on the bench beside me, on the
table, on the floor ; the pocket-book was no-
where to be seen. As I was leaning down
looking among my tools, I began to think of
what Ann had said, and I turned very red,
for I knew that if the wallet was not found,
that I would be suspected as the thief.

Mr. Sampson was a very hot-tempered
man; he had red hair; and when he grew
angry, his face turned red all the way up
to his hair, so that the boys used to say he
*' was angry, hair and all." There were very
valuable papers in the pocket-book, and not
very much money; but there were several
checks which he intended to draw that* very
day. The loss of the pocket-book caused a
great commotion. Some declared I must
have taken it. Others said that the good-for-
nothing woman, who had just been put out.

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AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. 159

had taken it; but the majority said that she
and I were in league together, and that I had
given it to her to carry off for me. Mr.
Sampson, who was very angry, recalled her
last words, and said that I must huve been an
old companion in sin with this woman, and
that I had somewhere secreted the pocket-
book. It seemed to me as if there was no one
in yard ox shop to speak up for me, although
I had done many an act of kindness for some
of the men. I felt then how unkind human
nature, without the grace of God, is; and
that when a man stands condemned by the
opinion of those around him, how few are
willing to stand by him, even though there
may be no proof of his guilt. An hour be-
fore I thought all the men were my friends ;
now here I stood condemned as a thief, with-
out one to plead for me. I remember that
that very morning Aunt Anne had read
the psalm which says the Lord is "a very
present help m trouble;" -and then came to
my mind that David had prayed, " Hide not

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160

thy face from me in the day when I ani in
trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the
day when I call, answer me speedily." So I
prayed God to help me. I prayed softly to
myself, so no one knew I was praying. I
asked God that I might not be wrongly
judged.

Many of the men laughed at me, and said
they always thought me a sanctimonious
hypocrite. Others, who were older, said that
was what I got from associating with bad
companions. I told them that Ann was not a
companion of mine ; but no one believed me,
for she had always told them I was, and that
I was none too good either. The aftair began
to look dark for me. There stood Mr. Samp-
son as angry as could be. Several of the men
testified that Ann and I were there together,
and the carman, who had been paid, said he
saw Mr. Sampson lay down the pocket-book.
I myself also felt obliged to say that I saw
the pocket-book, and that he did not put it in
his pocket. The theft lay between Ann and

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 161

tnjself The question was, even if slie had it,
had she not taken it with my consent, and
was not I to share its contents with her.
One of the head men— Mr. Leggett — was
called. He had always been friendly to me,
and was surprised to hear the statement of Mr.
Sampson. He was a friend of Dr. Gibson,
and the thought that through his recommen-
dation I had got this place, mortified me the
more, as I thought I might bring disgrace on
my best friends. I think Mr. Sampson was
thinking of the same thing, for he turned to
Mr. Leggett and said, " I never did believe in
taking these low street boys; they never
entirely get over their vicious ways. The
good Doctor is easily imposed on. Because
this chap began to talk religion, we must
needs take him by the hand and trust him.
Now see, the first temptation he is at his old
tricks again 1 "

" Not quite so hasty, Sampson," said Mr.
Leggett ; *' don't condemn a fellow without a
hearing. I don't believe he is a bad boy ; he

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162 jJiLOk's ^to&t

has an honest fa69. You never was a thief?
you never stole anything in your Mfe, my lad,
did you?''

The color came again to my fa6fe. What
could I say? I repealled all the teachings of
Miss Gibson. I could not tell a lie.

My hesitation created an' unfavorable im-
pression among the workmen. I knew full
well that there wotc some of them there who
had stolen things years ago, as well as I, and
yet they would have plumply denied it. I
knew that there were honest men there who
had never in their lives stolen anything; so
that, as I looked up at the workmen who
stood around me, I felt very sure that there
was not one there who would have answered
as I felt obliged to.

^' Sir," I said, looking up straight in Mr.
Leggett's face, " I once was a poor boy on the
street. I had no one to look after me or care
for me. I would lie, steal, and cheat. That
was long ago. Yet I cannot say I never stole
anything, for at that time I did. I am sorry

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AS TOLD BY HnlSELF. 163

for all that. I have for tbjs long time led a
different life. Sir, I did not steal the wallet.
I do riot know who did. Believe me, sir, I
never took a cent's worth of anything since I
have been in your employ.*'

My words had k good effect on some of the
men. I conld see they liked the candor with
which I spoke. Others still looked on me as
a hypocrite ; but Mr. Leggett, who had looked
me steadily in th^ face all the while I spoke,
was impressed in my favor.

"Jack," he said, "I believe you; but the
thing must be inquired into." Then he
turned to the men and told them all to go
back to their work. He called me to follow
him to his ofSce, where we talked the whole
matter over again. I told him candidly about
my whole life. I think he was pleased with
me, but he told me I might go home for the
rest of the day, and that he would see me
again about the matter.

I went home with a very heavy heart I
thought it strange that God should punish me

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164 jack's stobt

lor the Bins of my youth ; but for all that, I
kept praying all the way home that my inno-
cence might be made plain. I repeated to
myself those words in the XXV Psalm,
" Remember not the sins of my youth nor my
transgressions : according to thy mercy, re-
member thou me for thy goodness' sake, O
Lord."

I found, on reaching the house, that Pat
was much worse. Aunt Anne thought him
dying. She said I ought to find Ann and
bring her in, for Pat could not last much
longer; and also she wanted me to go for
Miss Gibson. I could not consent to go near
Ann MoUoy, but I ran off as fast as I could
for Miss Gibson. She was not in, but the
servant thought she had gone down town in
the carriage, and that I might meet her on
the way. Just as I was about turning down
our street, I saw her carriage, and beckoning
the coachman to stop, I told her that Aunt
Anne thought Pat was dying. As we went
in the house together, I detained her in the

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 165

hall to tell her all that had happened in the
morning, for I felt very miserable; but if
only she and the good Doctor believed me
innocent, that I could bear what every one
else said.

When we entered Pat's room we found him
scarcely able to speak. At times he would
rally and seem quite strong, and after a time
would sink away again, so that we could
scarcely hear his words. Miss Gibson felt
that Ann should be summoned to see her
brother die; but, with her usual thoughtful-
ness, she would not allow me to go, but sent
some other messenger, whom she also directed
to go for her father. Now see how the Lord
hears prayer, and how that which seems to be
chance is all ordered by Him. When Miss
Gibson's messenger reached her house, Mr.
Leggett was there. He had called to state
the case of the theft to the Doctor, and to ask
him what he knew of my previous history.
He came with the Doctor, in the carriage, at
his invitation, to see how matters were going

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166 JLQK^B STOBY

on at our honse. Scarcely had the Doctojr
and Mr. Leggett entered the room, when Ann
Molloy arrived. She came up to the head of
the bed, and was leaning over to take Fat's
hand, when suddenly her eye fell on Mr. Leg-
gett. She became frightened, and drew back
as if she wanted to go away. Miss Gibson
saw the motion. "Ann," she said, "you owe
it to the cause of justice and humanity to
clear the innocent. I have kindly cared for
your brother through all his sickness ; now at
his dying bed I command you to give up that
which you have stolen.'' She spoke low, so
that Pat could not hear her voice ; but to the
rest of us her words were distinct.

A profuse perspiration broke out on the
face of the miserable creature. She looked
around as if she was trying to find some way
of escape. She put her hand in her pocket
and drew out a miserable rag of a handker-
chief to wipe her face ; out from it, directly
on Pat's dying bed, fell the wallet !

Tell this gentleman," said Miss Gibson,

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AS TOLD BT HIMBELP. 167

pointing to Mr. Leggett, " if Jack told you to
steal it. Tell the truth, Ann, beside this
dying bed."

" Oh," she cried, '' they'll put me in jail for
it. Oh! oh! Yes, I did steal it. Jack
knows nothing about it. I saw it on ihp
bench. I noticed that he did not see it, so I
slyly slipped it in my pocket, and the» they
put me out of the gate."

At the sound of her voice Pat roused up,
and Aunt Anne held the pillows, so that his
head was higher, and he could see us all. Be
recognized the Doctor. "Qh, $ir," said jbe,
" you and the young lady have been so good
to me, let me, before I die, thank you f^r
w]bat you have done, and m^-y the dear Jesus,
whom you have taught me to love, re;^ard
you for your kindness."

"There is something you can do for m0,
Pat," sitid the Doctor. " I am sprry to dis-
turb y9u now, but I want you to tell ttds gen-
tleman what you think <^ Jack. Is he hpnest ?
Could you trust him ? "

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168 jack's btobt

" Trust him, sir ? With tracouiited gold, if
I had it. He will never steal now, sir."

" Do you think it likely that Jack told Ann
to steal this pocket-boot i "

He seemed at once to comprehend the state
of the case ; and, as if he was anxious to do a
last good deed for me, he said, in a tone
louder than I would have thought possible :

" Sir, she is my sister. I am sorry for her,
but I know she stole it herself She hates
Jack. She persecutes him in every way.
Oh, don't believe any harm of Jack if she
accuses him of evil. I am sorry to be obliged
to say so, but she must be the guilty one, not
Jack."

The Doctor handed the pocket-book back
to Mr. Leggett, saying :

" I think, sir, you can take the testimony
of a dying man."

Dr. Gibson took Pat by the hand and felt
his pulse. Then we all knelt down as he
made a short prayer. Mr. Leggett and the
Doctor then went out.

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A8 TOLD BY HIMSELF. 169

Pat asked Birdie to sing "Eock of Ages,"
and afterwards, "Jesus, Lover of my soul."
Miss Gibson staid with us until nearly
evening, and then went home. Pat seemed
at times to revive, but after a while he closed
his eyes and apparently went to sleep. He
slept calmly for an hour, and then his breath
became shorter, and at last it ceased alto-
gether. Poor Pat was dead.

When I went back to my work, Mr. Leg-
gett called me in his office. He told me that
he had stated to the men that the wallet had
been found, and that I was entirely innocent.
He said that he had not mentioned the fact
of Ann MoUoy's having it, so that I need say
nothing to the men about her. When I went
back to the shop, the men all spoke to me in
the most friendly manner. Even those who
had blamed me or suspected me before, shook
hands with me; but I must say I did not
vahie the friendship of some of them as I did,
because I could see now that when I was in

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170

trouble they forsook me, and only when I waB
in prosperity they were willing to be friendly.
" The Lord is your best friend, Jack," says I ;
« stick to Him."

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 171

CHAPTER XVII.

SUNDAY is always a pleasant day to me.
It never seems tiresome now that we had
a pleasant home. When I use^i to be Ipiing-
ing and idling in the street, it often seemed
tedious. Aunt Anne allows me an hour's
fileej) more on Sunday than on week days,
because, ^e says, that, being tired from a
whole week's work, it rests me more, and I
am better fitted to enjoy the remaind^^ of the
day. Then we have prayers and breakfast,
and Birdie and I sit together and study ojir
Sunday-school lessons. Somehow the day
seems more calm, the sunshine falls more
pleasantly on the carpet, the clock tick^ more
solemnly in the comejr; everything seems
more peaceful on that <Jay than any other.
Aunt Anne has on her spectacles, and sits in
the rocking-chair in the comer, reading her

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172 jack's story

Bible until time to get ready, and then we all
go to prepare for church. Oh, if all boys
would only believe what I tell them, that life
spent in this way is so much more satisfactory
than spent in taverns, in drinking saloons,
and gambling houses I I have seen fellows sit
smoking in a bar-room all day Sunday, go
home drunk, and wake up on Monday with a
miserable headache, utterly unfit for work

Aimt Anne, Birdie, and I used to go to
church together after Pat's death, and we all
enjoyed the service. In the afternoon Birdie
and I used to go to Sunday-school, and then
Miss Oibson took Birdie home with her to
tea, so that she should sing for the Doctor.
These visits improved Birdie very much.
They made quite a little lady of her, for she
was naturally quick to learn, and she had a
great sense of propriety. She liked to be
polite, for she said to me one day, when I was
a little rough (you know a boy like me will
be rough in his manners. I don't say it to ex-
cuse myself, for I think there is no excuse for

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 173

being unmannerly); well, Birdie said to me,
the "Bible tells us to be polite. Jack."
"Does it ? I guess you are mistaken 1 " said
I. But she brought the Bible. " ' Be court-
eous ! ' there it is, Jack, 1 Pet. 3 : 8." That
is so. Well, as I was saying, Birdie used to
sing after tea for the Doctor, and Miss Gibson
and I will tell you what came of it. Miss
Oibson sent for me one evening. She wished,
she said, to consult with me on a proposition
the Doctor had made. He wanted Birdie to
learn music He thought that she might sup-
port herself as she grew older by this beau-
tiftd talent which God had given her. Her
voice was such that, if properly cultivated,
she would be independent of any help from
others. He was willing to pay for the in-
struction she needed, if I felt that I could
trust the whole matter to him. This was the
substance of what she said to me. I was per-
fectly abashed. To think of the great Doctor
Gibson condescending even to ask poor Jack
about the matter I Who but a man so truly

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174 jicac's ffroit

Christian would have been so condescending
and magnanimous I It raised my respect for
myself; it doubled my love and admiration
for the Doctor ; and, if such a thing were pos-
sible, it increased my interest in Birdie's
welfare. Many a one would have had her
taught and said nothing to me about it, as, of
course, I could not object, and must, under
any circumstances, have felt grateful. But
when the Doctor paid me this respect, and
treated me with such politeness, and thus
tacitly acknowledged my right to a certain
guidance and direction over Birdie, I felt
more desirous to be noble and manly than I
had ever felt before, and I felt a greater re-
sponsibility resting upon me to prove myself
worthy of the Doctor's good opinion.

I do think that a real Christian gentleman
like the Doctor makes it easier for us to be
good, because such men are constantly hold-
ing up before our eyes the pattern which we
can copy. They are epistles known and read
of all men, the Bible says. Perhaps I ought

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▲8 T(yLi> BY miiSELF. 175

not to say that they are a pattern for us to
copy, for I know we must take Christ as our
great example. But when we are learning
about Cfirifet, we naturally look to His people
to see how they are acting. Oh, how I wish
alQ Christian gentlemen woitld make a Chris-
tian life plainly to he read by us who have
not much learning I For although i^ome of
them are, I doubt not, epistles for God jet
the writmg is very indistinct, and unless f. a
look close, you cannot read it.

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{176 JACKS 8T0BT

CHAPTER XVin.

ONE tiling was at times a source of regret
to Birdie and myself and that was that
Jim and Tinyw«re not with us. I did not
worry so much about Jim, because I saw that
he was well taken care of, and also that the
lady was giving him a good education ; but
poor Tinyl I felt very badly that she could
not be with us. Miss Oibson did not think it
right that we should take her away from the
woman who had always taken care of her.
She thought, also, that we were both too
young to have the charge of her ourselves. I
had freely confessed how I had stolen Tiny,
and with what unfortunate results ; and Miss
Gibson advised me, as the only thing that I
was able to do, to visit Tiny often, and make
her as comfortable as I could, and to do all
that we could in the way of assisting Mrs.

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AB TOLD BY HIMSELF. . 177

Dunn herself. Therefore Birdie and I went
there often. I would do errands for her, and
Birdie would help her with her work.

One morning Mrs. Dunn sent word to us
that Tiny was very sick. She had measles,
and had taken cold. I staid with her until it
was time for me to go to my work. Birdie
Bat with Tiny all day, so that Mrs. Dunn
could go on with her work. Mrs. Dunn said
that she had never known a more attentive
little nurse. Birdie tended the child, and
watched over her just as ^ grown woman
might have done. I think she was very fond
of Tiny — ^more fond than Tiny was of her. I
don't think that Tiny was a gentie, tender-
hearted child like Birdie. She was cold, and
did not seem to care mjich if any one loved her
or not. She never returned our love and ca-
resses with any warmth. If she had enough
to eat and drink, and she was let alone, she
was content. Birdie and I were more alike
in our ardent desire to have people love us
and think well of us, and to do something

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178 jack's story

in retum for the kindness shown ns. Tiny
was very petulant, but Birdie never got out
of. humor with her now, and would try in
every way to do what she could to amuse her.
I could not but observe the great change in
this respect in my Birdie. She was trying
very hard to be a Christian, and praying
every day that God would help her. In the
care of Tiny she was often very much tried,
for not only was Tiny impatient and irritable,
but Mrs. Dunn herself was very requiring.
She was evidently jealous of the attention
Birdie received from Miss Gibson, and she
would tell her that she was proud and stuck
up, and would taunt her in many ways there
were hard to bear. Birdie tried not even
to notice it, and always thought of some ex-
cuse to be made for Mrs. Dunn's sharp words,
or to give some kind-hearted reason for Tiny's
petulance. Once I interfered, and told Mrs.
Dunn that if she talked so rudely Birdie
should not come and help her any more.
Then Birdie said, " Ton should not feel so. I

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AS TOLD BY HIH8ELF. 179

mast do all I can for the dear Jesus' sake.
. Tou know He says if we are kind to those
only who are kind to us, we are only doing
what every one does. If we are Christians,
there is more expected of us. "We must be
kind to those who do not treat us well. It
would be very easy for me to watch over
Tiny if she was patient, for I do love her so ;
and if Mrs. Dunn did not speak so sharply, I
should be so happy in working for her. Now
I am not quite so happy in working here,
but I must do it all the same for the dear
Jesus' sake, because it is my duty." She
hesitated a moment, as if thinking the matter
over, and then added, " Not that we can earn
heaven by good works. Jack; that is a Eoman •
Catholic error ; but Christ has bid us do these
things for each other, and therefore we do
them in obedience to Him."

I used to think that the descaription of char-
ity in the XIII chapter of Corinthians would
apply to my Birdie. " Charity suffereth long

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180 JAOK^S rroBT

and is kind; charity envietli not; charity
Taunteth not itself, is not pnffed np."

Birdie would sing for Tiny all the pretty
hymns and tunes she had learned in the Sun-
day-school; and this always delighted Tiny,
for, like Birdie, she was fond of music. I
did not think that the child was very sick,
and I sometimes fancied that Mrs. Dunn kept
Birdie there so much just to please herself,
and because Birdie was so patient and helpful;
but I was mistaken, and did injustice to Mrs.
Dunn. Aimt Anne told me that Tiny would
never get well. She had taken a very heavy
cold, and, not having a strong constitution,
she could not get over it. They were right
and I was wrong, for Tiny died, with her arms
around Birdie's neck, as Birdie was singing
her to sleep. It was the long sleep from
which she should never awaken. Birdie
cried as if her heart would break. I felt
sorry that all my life I had done so little for
poor Tiny. She would never have been a
healthy child. Had she lived to grow up, she

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AS TOLD BY BIMfi£LF. l6l

would always have been weak and sickly. I
tried to comfort Birdie by telling her this, but
I believe she would have been willing to take
care of her and wait on her all her life, had
she only been spared to us.

The lady who had adopted Jimmy hired a
carriage for him and Birdie and myself, to-
gether with Aunt Anne, to go to the ceme-
tery. Miss Gibson had told us that we might
go to visit Pat MoUoy's grave at the same
time. When the service was all over and
everybody had gone away but ourselves, we.
three children sat under the shade of a great
tree to rest. How beautiful everything looked,
and how quiet, to us who came from the bus-
tle of a city ! " Every tree seems to point up
to God,'^ said Birdie ; " its roots only are in
the ground, but all its growth is upward and
heavenward. I never noticed before how
everything in the country points us to God."

" Even the very blades of grass," said Aunt
Anne ; " see, Birdie, how perfect every little
leaf is. Although there are millions, each

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183 jack's 8T0BT

one ifi perfect, and each grows after the pat-
tern of its own famfly. Here are clover-
leaves, and here is some coarse grass, and
yonder some wild flowers springing up in the
grass. God covers over the earth with this
green coverlid, and then makes it beautiful
with flowers. How good He is 1 "

" In the winter,'* said I, " the trees look as
if they were dead. I never could believe that
they could look as they do now when I saw
them at poor Pat's funeral, if I did not know
it from having seen them before. Miss Gib-
son told us that Tiny would not always sleep
here in this grave, but that she would come
forth at the resurrection. That would be
hard for me to believe but for these trees.
They seem to make it plainer to me. For
now the trees, which looked as if they were
dead, look more beautiful even than before."

So we sat under the great trees and talked
until Jimmy got tired. Then I took him by
the hand and showed him some of the marble

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AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. 183

monuments, and Birdie and I wandered about
with him while Aant Anne rested.

We visited Pat MoUoy's grave before we
left the cemetery. Everywhere it looked so
calm and quiet, that we felt more content to
leave those there whom we loved. I could
see that Birdie felt more peaceful; but then
hers is such a trusting heart, and she loves the
dear Jesus so, that she feels resigned sooner
than I do. I could not but feel disappointed
and as if I could question the Lord's right to
take Pat away from us, now that he had just
got so good that we all loved him. When he
died I had not given up the idea that he
would get weU, and then I thought he would
be such a pleasant companion for me. " Why
did the Lord take him, for I am sure he was
now just fitted to live ? " I said to Birdie.

"Jack," she replied, "the Lord is a great
deal wiser than the wisest of men. I think
such weak creatures as you and I may safely
trust Him. You know if, at the very first,
we had t^iniksted Miss Gibson, we might have

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184 JACK^S 8T0BT

saved oureelves a great deal of trouble ; don't
let TIB make a greater mistake by not trusting
the Lord. I believe that if we love Him, all
things win turn out for the best for us. I am
going to trust in Him fully." Then we sat
down under a large elm, and Birdie sung the
hymn she had sung at Pat's reques^ before
he died, and the one she was singing to Tiny
when she died. Then we got into the carriage
and drove back to town.

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AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. 185

CHAPTER XIX.

OUR minister preached one day from the
text, "Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father in Heaven;" and that
afternoon Miss Gibson explained to us the
difference between doing good for the sake of
being praised by men and boasting about our
good deeds, on the one side, and on the other,
that shamefacedness which will not allow us
to speak up for Jesus, which hides our light,
so that people do not see good Works in us,
which Qauses us to act so much like those
who are not God's children, that our conduct
brings no honor, but rather a reproach, upon
the cause of Christ.

There were in our shop some men who
were very profane. They could not say the
simplest thing without an oath. This troubled

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186 jack's stoet

me very much. I could not bear to hear it ;
but they were so much older than I, that I
dared not say anything. All the while my
conscience troubled me that I did not speak
up for Jesus. There was one lad younger
than myself who also had acquired this feurful
habit, and it struck me that I might at least
speak to him.

One very stormy day, during the intermis-
sion between twelve and one o'clock, a group
of us half-grown boys and older men stood
around the heater, when the lad began to tell
some vulgar story, interspersing it with great
profanity. For a moment I raised my heart
in prayer to God that He would help me, and
that the men might take kindly what I meant
to say. Then I turned to the lad. "Bill,"
said I, " it might do for low and vulgar peo-
ple, for criminals and vagabonds, to feel in-
terested in such stories, but I think that good
and honest workmen, in a respectable place
like this, must feel that you disgrace them by
even thinking that such low stories would be

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AS trOLD BY HIMSELF. 187

pleasant for them. And one thing more, lad;
don't bring dishonor on the Lord by taking
His name in vain. I, for one, protest against
it." There was silence for a moment; no one
said a word; but they all looked at each
other. Then one of the older men spoke.
" Jack," said he, " give me your hand ; you're
a brave fellow, and you put me to the blush
for not having spoken up before myself. I
am a member of the Methodist Church, and
I have often felt sorry about these things, but
I didn't like to speak."

" So am I," said another ; " and it has been
a weight on my conscience that I haven't
spoken up for Jesus."

Another said, " Well, I don't belong to any
church, and I don't profess to be any better
than other folks; but I must say I like to hear
Christians speak up and act up to what they
do profess."

Another said, that as to being a Christian
or not a Christian, that had nothing to do
with it. He felt as a respectable, native-bom

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188 jack's btobt

American ; he didn't want the words and ways
of a loafer, and he felt himself above such low
talk and such profanity.

Every one took it in good part, and I think
what I said did good. It got for me a firm
friend in one of our most skillful workmen, a
man by the name of Charles Smith, known
familiarly among us as Light Charley, to dis-
tinguish him from another man of the same
name, who had very black hair and eyes, and
who was known as Dark Charley. He was a
fine fellow, as well as a good workman ; and
he, when every one had ceased speaking and
gone away, and I was alone, came up to me,
and, shaking me by the hand, said, ^ I wish,
lad, that we could find a little higher tone
among some of our men. I think if there are
those of us here who love Christ, we ought to
speak up for Him."

He had some conversation one day with
Mr. Leggett on the subject, and Mr. Leggett
drew up a paper which Light Charley cir-
culated among the men. It was an appeal to

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 189

all not to use profane language in our yard
and shop. The consequence was, that the
worst of the men saw they were not held m
as high respect; and whatever they might
have done in the street, in the premises where
we worked there was a great change.

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190 jack's fiVOST

CHAPTER XX.

MR. LEGGETT was a great temperance
advocate. He brought in one day a
pledge for the men. Quite a number signed,
and I among the rest. Somehow I always go
with all my heart into everything I under-
take. He left the paper with me, as he was
called out to see a gentleman on business, and
I so vigorously pleaded the temperance cause,
that I did not see he had returned, and was
looking at me through the window, until the
men began to laugh. He said to me .that
night before I went home, ** Jack, I'm going
to .get up a temperance meeting here in the
shop next week, Wednesday. Suppose you
be one of the speakers." "I one of the
speakers, sirl" I exclaimed, in surprise; "why
I never spoke in my life." "That is the
very reason why you should now begin. Just

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AS TOLD BY HIMSKLF. 191

speak as yon did to-day to the men. It will
have a good effect. I will put your name
down as one of the speakers ; bo prepare your-
self.''

When I told Birdie, I expected her to be as
much surprised as I had been; instead of
that, she said, in the coolest manner, ^^Of
course you can speik. Jack, and it is your
duty to do it." I was completely taken
aback, for I confess I can talk enough, as you
must see from my story, but to speak — ^regu-
larly to speak — that is quite another matter.

Some people believe that you should not
make preparation to speak, but trust in the
Lord, and He will put the words in your
mouth which you ought to say. But I believe
in doing both — ^both making preparation and
trusting in the Lord. I kept thinking all the
while what I should say. I had it all studied
out in my own mind exactly how I should
begin, what arguments I should use, and what
brilliant idea I should close with. When the
evening came, I was frightened almost out of

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192 jack's stobt

my wits ; certainly out of all memory of what
I had proposed to say. I felt like creeping
into the forge, or up the chimney, or under
the heater, anywhere out of sight; and my
heart beat like a trip-hanomer. When Mr.
Leggett called out my name, and, taking me
by the hand, led me out on the platform,
which we had made of boards placed over
half a dozen barrels, I could not see. I felt
perfiectly blind. I raised a monaent my heart
to God in prayer. The mist slowly dispersed
from my eyes, and in a distant corner of the
great shop I saw Dark Charley laughing at
me. Somehow I felt angry and forgot all my
fear. I did not say one word of my studied
address, but I told them, from personal
knowledge, what misery a drunkard brings
to his family. My tongue got fairly loosed ;
I had no want of words or thoughts, and I
threw all my natural enthusiasm and fervor
into what I said. The fine ideas* and studied
words with which I had hoped to create an
impression were entirely forgotten. I felt

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 193

what I said, and I said what I felt ; for I was
then and there an earnest lad, trying to do ear-
nest work. When I closed, the men applaud-
ed as if they would never stop. They even
cheered again and again. ^^ That is because I
am one of themselves," said I to Mr. L^gett.
He smiled. " Jack, you did weU 1 " said he,
and that made me happy.

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194 JAQE'a. 8xoi|^

CHAPTER XXI.

OF aU tbo: mm in cfoir abqp) ihexQ wjbia
onljr one whom I really dipjU^iMir^tbat
was Charley Smith, Uie pne kaQw^Q; as !Pa,rk
Charley. I had never thought much about
him either way until the time of the temper-
ance lecture ; then I could see from his man-
ner that he was jealous of me, and wanted to
stir up the boys against me. I think that he
was fond of a glass of whiskey from time to
time, and did not like the introduction of the
pledge ; so he went about in a sly, underhand-
ed way to put down the friends of temper-
ance, beginning with the foremost, and that
was myself. He began, in the meanest of all
ways, by treacherously trying to appear my
friend. *^ Jack," said he one day, " you are a
smart fellow; it is a pity you can't write."
"Yes," said I; "I am going to take lessons

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AS TOLD BT HDiS^F. 1^

Boon; Vy& been to nightrfidaool^ but thexe
aro flomaay tlnng^ for me to learn^ that Fve
ra&er neglected tlmt« However, I don^t
mind« &(xma' extra leseons will bring me all
straight/* ^^111 give you some lesoonfi myself
thai'U cost you nothing^if yWd like to learn,"
be said. I had some misgivingB when fellows
like him get to be so kind ; but it did seem
ao ill-natured in me to feel so, tliat I was
ashamed of myself, particularly as I knew he
wrote a very clear, bold hand. At first I esid
nothing, and then he spoke up, '^ Too proud
to learn of a poor man like me, eh, Jack.!
Better let Mr. Le^ett o^ Dr. Gibson ht^p
you!" "Don't spesk that way, Charleys"
said I. ^^*Fm independ^it if I am poor. I
don't want help from any one when I can pay
for a thing myself" Heare f(^ a while the
matter ended; w« both went on with our
work. A few daysaft^he joined me in the
street on my way home, and said, '^ Jack, I'll
own up; I'm in want of a little change, and if
jofi^te going to pay aay oua to teaeh you.

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196 jack's stoby

writing, why not pay me ? Ill ask you about
half what a regular writing teacher would
ask, as I happen to need a little money, and
I can give you a lesson in the shop evenings
before we go home." It seemed odd to me
that Dark Charley should need money, for he
got good wages and had no family; but then I
didn't know his circomstances, so I took his
word for it, but I didn't like the idea of re-
maining after hours in the shop; it was
against the rule, and I told him so. He said
that our homes lay in different directions, and
the shop being midway, would accommodate
both; and as to its being against the rule,
why the watchman who had charge of that
part of the premises was an old friend of his,
and would overlook the fact of our sitting
there an hour later for a while. At any rate,
we might try it ; and if there were objections
made, why then it would be time enough
to make other arrangements. Now I want to
say to boys, here and now, that when you
think a thing is wrong, let it alone; don't

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 197

keep talking about it until you begin to think
it is right. Don't let a fellow older than you
persuade you into doing a thing when you
know it is wrong. I knew then, as well as I
know now, that it was wrong to stay in the
shop -after work-hours ; the rule was for the
men to go home who were not at work, and
that part of the shop was then put in charge
of a night-watch, and I had no right to break
the rule. I was a simple fellow to allow my-
self to be made a tool of by Dark Charley. I
felt flattered by this notice of a man so much
older than myself, and allowed myself to be
blinded by his words. If I had exercised my
common sense, I might have known that the
little money he might gain from teaching me
at a reduced price could not have been his
object ; that there must have been something
behind it all, as I learned too late there was.
Dark Charley was a very bad fellow ; he had
only been two years in the country, and no
one knew very much about him. Mr. L^-
gett did not like him, and had always sus-

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198 liyQK»B STQET

peeled him of not being entirelj honjeBt.
While he vas in the shop ht always had
proved himself industrious ; and none of us
bojs lihonght much about him one way <»* the
other. He was not on very intimate tenns
with any of the workmen, and bis offer to
give me lessons was always made when we
were alone, aldumgh at the time I did not
observe that I, dupe as I wmb of his flatteiT,
thinkiug that in just one or two lessons I
could be made a beantifiil penman, -bought
peoo, ink, and paper. Se exeueed imnaelf £x
one or two evenings after I was iieady, saying
that he had suoh a severe s69«-thiK)at, that he
did not like to be out late in the night air.
But one very windy, disagreeable night he
came to me with an apology for ha;?ing put
me off so long, and said he would set me a
copy and give me some instruction, but could
not remain as long with me as he ought on
account of his throat, which still troubled
him. I said that I did not care to remain
there alone, as the watchman did not know

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A8 TOLD BY iinrsi:LF. 1"^

tne, iEtnd would probaJbly ptrt me out ; «ld
Ifaen, beside, th^e was no hs&te ; it Was not
necessaiy that I sliould Iw^gm joi^ then* He
urged me veiy strongly, and «aiid he iedly
began to think I was afraid to be left Ame,
and latigfaed at me. I did not speak up thto
as I ou^. I shotild hav^ tdd him jflaMy
aftd bolffly that ^e wei^ breaking the Tufes,
and ftat I wcrnldn't do it. If he would isorab
to my house I Woidd take lessons of him,
otherwise not. Brit I ^was ashamed lest he
fSionld tMnk me a coward, and t was afraid
to be langhed at ; «o I ^taSd. He «et nre it
copy, and telling me how 1 was to hold my
pen, and how I was to place my hand and
move my Angers, he Irffc me, saying thai ttite
neott time he hoped to -stiiy with me tlnrough
the whole lesson. He aho chaiged me to iftH
up the entire page, and not to attempt t6
write rapidly. After he left I concluded that
T Y^fmlA not i^emain ; and just then tibinking I
heard the ^teip of tiie watchman, I f(Mei %xp
the papw and wiped the pen preparatory t6

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200 jack's 8T0BY

going. Just then an inner door was opened ;
but instead of the watchman, it was Mr. Leg-
gett. "Why, Jack,*' he exclaimed, "what
are you doing here?" I felt mortified at
being seen thus by Mr. Leggett, for I like
him very much, and was- ashamed to have
him know that I was thus deliberately break-
ing the rules. I generally try to be an out-
spoken fellow, and not to sneak off now and
hide my faults with a lie, so I spoke out can-
didly, and looking Mr. Leggett fall in the
face, told all that had been arranged between
Dark Charley and myself, and begging his
pardon for infringement of the rule, said I
would go home at once. " Stay, Jack," said
he ; " how are you going to get out ? " " This
way, sir," said I, pointing to the door through
which Charley had gone. " Try it," said he.
I did so ; it was locked. I was a prisoner in
the shop. I looked up with great surprise at
Mr. Leggett He could not help smiling at
my consternation. " Jack," said he, " I think
you have fallen into a trap I " I did not un-

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AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. 201

derstand him, and said so ; but he made no
reply. He put the gas down low, and stood
with his watch in his hand. He stood in a
listening attitude, and did not say a word.
" Won't you please let me out, sir ? " I asked,
in a low voice. "No, Jack," he replied.
" Dark Charley has fastened that door on the
outside, and I do not wish to go into the
oflSce or through the yard." I did not know
what to do.- There I stood beside Mr. Leggett,
wondering what would happen next. I felt
provoked at myself beyond measure for being
duped by Dark Charley, although I did not
exactly know yet what might be his object.
We waited, I should think, half an hour, al-
though to me it seemed double that time. I
heard the clock of St Paul's strike, and
thought that Birdie would feel anxious about
me. Mr. Leggett took off his hat once or
twice, and wiped the perspiration from his
bald head. I did not feel very warm myself,
and wondered why he should feel so over-
heated. Another half hour passed. Mr. Leg-

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g«tt bad seated himsetf on the beBdk, ^nA
paid no attention to me whatever. Oafy
once or twioe, whtta I moved, he said, ^-Bfn^,
Jade" He did not speak a6 if he Mt v<e!X!ed
or angry at me; only as it he wanted to
listen. iPresMtly we h^ard ^ low and asm-
tiouB «tef>, and the doer Aik)!^ whieh Ifr.
Leggett hud entered waft slowly o]^ned. It
was ihb watehman. He Itiid Ms 4^^ (^ Mb
lip as if to «njo^ silenee, lield op two flng^«,
nodded kh hefsA, »&. withdrew. I h<egM to
be dreadfully wolfed. I saw that eometl^^
was going to haj^en; I didn't lnow ¥^t;
and I felt mortified that in some way, I eonld
not tell how, I was to be involved in it. Oh,
how I wished myself at home, and how I
regretted that I had allowed a bad fellow Hke
Dark CSwtrley to inveigle me into wrong-
doing. I am fond of adventm^, and if I
could have been there to help catch a robber,
or something of that scwt, it would not have
been so unpleasant ; but to be obliged to sit
perfectly still in almost darkness, listening for

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AS TOLD BY HUteELP. 203

— you hardly know what-^and feeling like a
mouse in a trap — well, to say the least of it,
it was not pleasant. Presently, with the same
caution as before, the door opened agsdn, and
the watchmen, with two others, appeared
within. Our night*watdiman bedi:oned Mr.
Leggett, imd on tiptoe he went across the
shop, and they all talked in low whispers
together. As they wet>e about going baek,
o<ar wait^unan caught sight <^ me, «nd looked
stp^sed. ISx* L^gett whispered something
to Mm, ait YPbioh he smiled, and then 'ftey all
dosed tlMB door ¥ery gently, and we were
again left alone. I lay 4owii on <3ie floor,
and, being tired, I got aele^. I «a»Mdt t^
how l(mg I had slept, when I watt tfudd^ify
avoused by the report of a pistol. I jumped
up and found myself alone. I was petfectly
bewildered at first, and oooid not think how I
happened to be in the shop at tbait time of
n%ht ; but soon I recalled the eye&ts of the
evening, and not seeing Mr. L^^tt, I rushed
through the door in the diMCtioB of the firing.

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204 . jack's stc^ey

I arrived in time to see two men in custody
of tlie three watchmen, and Mr. Leggett just
entering from the office-door with another
policeman. In ahnost less time than I have
taken to describe it, the two burglars were
captured, their pistols taken from them, and
they hurried off in charge of the three police-
men; our own watchman, Mr. Leggett, and
myself being left alone. The watchman kept
rubbing his hands together. " A good job,
sir I a good job, sir I " he kept exclaiming.
Mr. Leggett seemed to think the same, and
polished his bald head again and again with
his handkerchief; but I could see he did not
feel quite well — the excitement had been al-
most too much for him. So I ran and got
some water for him to drink. Then he seem-
ed to recollect that I had been kept prisoner
with him, so he said, "Ah, Jack, that bad
fellow meant to get you into the plot ; if it
hadn't been for our faithful friend here,"
pointing to the watchman, "you would have
been treated to a trial for burglary I " " How

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AS TOLD BY' HIMSELF. 205

BO, sir ? " said I, quite bewildered. Then the
watchman told me how that for a long time
he had suspected Dark Charley of being an
old offender — ^a jail-bird, he called him. How
that he had followed him up very closely,
and, with the aid of detectives, found out his
tricks. He would not tell me how he had
found out his intentions on this particular
evening ; but he had done so, and had warned
Mr. Leggett in time to take every precaution
against his escape. After breaking open the
safe with his accomplice, they evidently in-
tended in some way to implicate me. At
any rate, the watchman would have seen me
at a late and unusual hour about the premises,
which would have seemed suspicious, if no
clue had been discovered. Mr. Leggett
thought that in some way his accomplice had
led him to change his plans in regard to
entering the door which he had locked, arid
which thus had prevented my going out. By
being so immediately caught, he was prevent^
ed from putting his plans into execution. We

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could, not tdl wbsiJt exactly they were; bnt
Hm one thing we all feU, tibat, faowev^ mno-
cent, I had' ran a veiy narrow ohanoe of being;
taken up as a bmglar^s accomplice.

Mr. Leggett^ who saw my innocence in the
whole matteiv became my fast M^id, and.
after Dark Charley's trial be came to see iul
Birdie sang for him, and we pae&ed so pleas^
ant an eyening in Aunt Anne's cheerful little,
parlor, that I told him that I did '' not grndge
that dark evening in the shop if it only made
him my friend;" but he shuddered, even in
thinking of it, and said, " Let it be a lesson to
you, Jack, never take the first step towards
what you know to be wrong, and never be
ashamed to say no to wicked companions."

It is needless to say that I never took
another writing-lesson in that way. I went to
a regular teacher, and as I took great pains
to learn, I now write a very good, plain busi-
ness hand, which is certainly a useful accom-
plishment. Here let me say, that there is no
excuse for a boy that cannot read and write

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AS 'Sff^BlS' BiM^ELF. 20ft

well, or who will not have an education.
If he will only try, and is determined to
learn, he can certainly find the means of
doing QOi A boy ought: tq blueih fbt himself
if he remams in ignorance. I was surprised
tp find how miioh hl^pier I became tati biow-
ii3g how to i^ead^ Theimwm naneeessittf for
lounging: abo«t in^ salo€^M^^r in the etreets^
eyen if I hs^ boen inoHned to do so^ for I
could atwfljFUtfind some nice stories in< library-
books with which to &m&6e myselfi I also
read hookA of travds, and histDriee of poor
boys like myself, who h^ got along in the
world. My own experieaioe confirms what I
read in sueh books of others^ and thai is, if a
boy W4mta to learn, he always finds the \
mews to do. sp, and tl^e ign(»rant boys are ^
8;udi willfully.

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208 jack's btobt

CHAPTER XXII.

MISS GIBSON had told ns before we
were removed to the house of Mrs.
Brown, whom we now call Aunt Anne, that
she was neat and particular. I found this to
be so, to even a greater ext^it than I antici-
pated ; but now that I have got accustomed
to it, I see that she is right. I, myself, like
to see a house kept clean and nice, but at first
it caused me a great deal of trouble. She
made us put every thing in its place. I had
a peg to hang my coat and hat on, and she
would never let me throw them down on a
chair. Miss Gibson taught us to respect the
wishes of those older than ourselves with
whom we live. She says that households
would be much happier if the members con-
sulted each other's tastes and wishes ; where
there are reasonable rules and requirements,

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AS TOLD BT HJKSELF. 209

the younger members should submit to them
pleasantly, and not be always trying to thwart
or set them aside. Aunt Anne, in what I
used to think her excessive neatness, would
not allow me to come in the house with the
heavy boots which I wore in the street. She
purchased for me a nice pair of slippers, and
these were kept at the basement door, in the
hall, so that when I returned from my work
I could put them on. I see now. that she was
right, although at first I did not like the plan
at all. It saved her a great deal of sweeping
and scrubbing, for the house was kept clean
after it had been put in order. It also enabled
me to go about without making so much
noise. One evening, as I went up stairs, I
heard Birdie talking to some one, as I
thought; for on account of my having on my
slippers, I walked so quietly that she did
not hear my step. When I reached her door I
found she was praying. I used to say the
Lord's prayer, and sometimes, "Now I lay
me down to sleep," etc., or offer some petition

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210 JAOk's 0TOSY

for help and guidance, sacli as I had heard
suggested in the church or Sundaj-schooL
Birdie prayed very differently from this. She
addressed the Lord as if to her He was a
personal, present friend. I was so much
struck with what she said, and her earnestness
of manner, that I can recall almost every
word ; indeed it affected me so strongly that
I became more earnest and simple in prayer
myself. I left off the set phrases, which had
very little meaning to me, as I only used
them because other people did, and I asked
the Lord for what I really wanted, as I heard
Birdie doing. This is what she was saying
as I reached her door : " My Father, you are
very great ; you made the stars which I now
see shining in the sky. I am only a poor
little girl ; I hav'nt anything of my own. But
I'm not afraid to come and ask you for what
I want, because youVe told me I may come.
If I had plenty, and some poor child came
and asked me for help, I would give it to
them ; and so I know you will help me, because

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 211

you are so much greater than I am. What I
want to ask is, that Jack and I may be good
and do what is right. Jack is very good to
me ; please to take care of him always, and
you reward please, Father, because I can-
not. And 60 is Miss Gibson ; please take care
of her, for Jack and I would have no one to
care for us if it 'twasn't for her. Please let
me act right, and speak right, and feel right,
and Jack the same. I want them all to love
me. Is it wicked to ask this ? Whatever I
ask that is wicked please to forgive, for I am
only a little girl, and I don't know. I want
Jack to be kept from sin and temptation ;

please, please take care of my dear Jack "

I think I must have unconsciously attracted
her attention, for although her prayer was not
finished, she opened her eyes and saw me,
and then she stopped, and said ^^ Amen." So
as I came in, we began to talk about prayer.
She said, " I think. Jack, we ought to pray
to God just as a child talks to his father ; for
He is called our Father in heaven, so the name

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213

must mean eomething. I^ow, if I was like
Miss Gibson, and had a good father, as she
has, I would like to tell him all my troubles
and all mj joys. I would ask him for just
what I wanted, because I know from his
great love, he would give me what I wanted,
if it was right for me to have it. 1 would
always have my heart open to him, so that he
would know just what I am, and what I
want» 1 have no father, so I go to God ex-,
aetly as if He was my earthly father."

" 1 don't know about that. Birdie," said I.
" I have asked God for a great many things
that He hasn't given me. For instance — ^I
have aaked him to make me rich."

"He hasn't promised to make you rich,
Jack. There are certain things, Miss Gibson
says, God has promised that He will give to
those who ask for them, and for these we
may ask, feeling confident that we shall re-
ceive them. There are other things we may
ask for, and He may give them, or He may
not."

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kS TOLD ST HQCBSLF. 313

^ I don't like that way, Birdie ; when I ask
for a thing, I want to get it."

" Of oonrge you do, Jack ; yon want it, or
yon wouldn't ask for it ; bnt yon on^t to feel
at the Aame time that if God doesn't give it,
then it is because yon are better without it.
I didn't want Miss Gibsim to coose into our
room when you first got me hsLok. I would
have bolted her out forever, if I had had my
own will. Yet what would I have been with-
out her I Just so we are acting all the whUe.
We want things exactly our own way. God
sees that we are mistaken, so He does what
is better for us; then sometimes we feel
angry towards Him. I wae angry when Miss
Gibson came in. IScfw I see it was the best
thing that could have happened to me."

" Birdie, do you think it wrong for me to
ask God to give us riches 1 " asked I.

^^No, Jack. But at the same time you
must be willing to leave it to God, if he gives
you riches or not. It seems to me that you
might not be as good as you aire now, if all

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214 jack's stobt

of a sudden you got a great sum of money ;
but God may answer your prayer in this way —
he may give you wisdom and intelligence, and
make you successfol io business, so tbat by
industry and honesty you might get rich.
Then your riches, you see, would be an
answer to prayer, although it would seem as
if it was all your own work."

« Who told you this. Birdie ? " I asked.

^^ Miss Gibson talked this matter over with
me. Indeed, I have asked her many times
about it, for this subject of prayer interests
me so much. It is so pleasant for me to feel
that our Father in heaven is always taking
care of me ; that He takes care even of the
wee little birds that go chirping about in the
Park ; and then think of the myriads of dear
little birds all over the whole world, and not
only of birds, but of butterflies, and bugs, and
creeping things, and animals, and trees I Oh,
think, Jack, of all the things there are in the
world, and o\cr Father takes care of them all I
He is so great, so very great, yet when I go

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A S TOLD BY HIMSELF. f? ! 5

down on my knees, even I — I, your poor little
Birdie, Jack — ^He will listen to my weak voice,
and I may ask Him for just what I want, and
then after I have asked Him, I feel so happy,
because I know he has listened, and He seems
to say to me, *Yes, dear. little one, I have
heard every word, and I will give you just
what is best for you to have ! ' "

I wish you could have heard the way in
which my dear Birdie said all this. She
spoke so earnestly, so confidently, and the
thoughts seemed to- make her so happy 1 I
knew she had learned it all from Miss Gibson.
She is beginning to think and feel so much
like that dear young lady.

Somehow I cannot take these things in as
readily as she can ; but her way of accepting
these Bible truths makes me understand what
that verse means : " Except ye be converted,
and become as little children, ye cannot enter
the kingdom of heaven." Birdie believes in
what our Father in heaven tells us, and takes
Him at His word.

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216 jack's btoky

CHAPTER XXIH.

ONE day Birdie was corning home in an
omnibus from taking her music lesson.
There were several men in the omnibus, two
ladies, and herself. The ladies were very
fashionably dressed, and talked very loud — so
loud that Birdie could hear every word they
said. Miss Gibson had taught Birdie never
to talk loud in any public place ; but I notice
that there ate those who call themselves ladies
who do not attend to these little rules of po-
liteness, which dear Miss Gibson took such
pains to teach Birdie. She had also taught
her never to listen to what others were say-
ing, unless it was meant for her to hear ; but
in this ease Birdie could not help it, for they
talked so loud that every one in the stage
could hear. I think that poor people might
be got to be more polite if Jadies and gentle-

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Afl TOLD BY HIM5ELF. 217

men would always act in their presence with
the same politeness that they show toward
each other. These ladies seemed to think that
it was no matter how loud they talked, bo long
. Its there were only plainJooking people in the
stage. "Well, as I said before, Birdie conld
hear very distinctly every word they said;
and they were talking about a concert winch
one of them was going to give for the benefit
of the soldiers. This was near the close of
our war ; and it was very fashionable for rich
ladies to give entertainments at their own
houses, and then hand over the money to the
Sanitary Commission for the benefit of the
sick and wounded. The. one lady seemed
greatly worried because one of the singers
whom she had engaged was sick, and she
wanted her friend, who, it seemed, was one
of those who were to play on the piano, to
find some one to 8U|^ly her place. The other
lady declared her inability to do so, and alto-
gether they were in great distress, as the great
concert was to come oflf that very week. They j

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218 jack's stokt

declared that singers generally were very dis-
obligingy and that if any one had a fine voice,
that seemed to be sufficient reason for putting
on airs and making themselves disagreeable.
Ever since Birdie had heard of the sufifering
of the soldiers, and had seen how interested
Miss Gibson felt in scraping lint and making
shirts and havelocks and all sorts of things for
their comfort, Birdie had felt the greatest de-
sire to do something herself for them. She
had helped to scrape lint, and she had made
a needle-book filled with coarse needles and
thread, and Miss Gibson had marked it as the
gift of a little girl ; but now she thought that
if she might sing for them, it would be doing
far more than she ever had done. She kept
thinking of this all the time they were talking,
until it did seem as if she could not keep
quiet. We have talked this over since, and I
have told her that I wished she could have
spoken first to Miss Gibson, and she said she
felt the same, but then, don't you see, she
would have lost sight of the ladies altogether ;

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Afl TOLD BY HIMSELF. 219

she must speak before she left the omnibus^ or
not at all. Her warm heart coald not let this
opportunity pass ; so she timidly touched the
hand of one of the ladies, and, as the color
mounted to her cheeks, she told her, in her
own simple way, of her desire to help the
soldiers, excusing herself thus for her apparent
forwardness, and expressed a desire to be al-
lowed to sing at the concert. She told me
afterwards that she was very sorry the mo-
ment she had spoken, for the oldest of the
two took out her eye-glass and studied her
coldly from head to foot, while the other
seemed greatly amused. Then they whis-
pered as Birdie sat blushing deeply beside
them, and she could hear the younger one
say something about "liking the child's looks,"
and about the " novelty," and the " necessity
of a variety," and so on. They talked so long
that Birdie began to feel mortified at what she
had done, and to regret that she had acted
thus without Miss Gibson's consent, and she
was about to pull the strap and get out and

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320 jack's btobt

walk tbe rest of the way home, when the
younger of the ladies saw the motion, and
stopped her. She questioned her as to
whether she had ever been taught music, and
by whom. They were surprised when they
heard whose pupil she was, and that she was
just then returning from taking her lesson.
They examined the roll of music she held in
her hand, and, after a little more whispering
together, they both seemed equally anxious to
secure her services, although Birdie could sec
that it did not seem to be for what they sup-
posed she could do, as much as for the sake of
having a little novelty, and also because they
laid such emphasis on the fact of having so
celebrated a teacher. The older lady took
her card out of her pocket, with her address
on it, and handed it to Birdie^ asking her to
come round the next evening and join in a
rehearsal. Birdie did not know what this
meant, and said that it was only for the good
of the soldiers that she wanted to sing. The
ladies laughed at this, and talked together

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 221

again, and finally did not think it worth while
that she should practice with the rest at ^' the
rehearsal," but gave her another card, which
had on it the date, etc., of the concert, and
which was one of those intended to invite the
company with. They both told her to be
sure and oome, and to be there half an hour
before the time on the card. Birdie told tliem
that her coming would depend upon the con-
sent of the young lady who paid for her mu-
sical instruction ; that if she would prefer that
she should not come, that then they would re-
ceive a message to that effect ; but if the lady
allowed her, then they would know by not
receiving any message at all ; that she would
be there punctually at the time required. The
ladies both laughed again, and the younger
complimented Birdie upon her business facul-
ty, as displayed in this arrangement. Birdie,
instead of going home, went direct to Miss
Gibson, and laid the whole matter before her.
To Birdie^s credit, I must say, that she never
withheld the leaert thing from Miss Gibson, or

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jack's story

never tried in any way to tell her things in a
manner that wonld indicate her own prefer-
ence. She always simply stated facts, and
then abided by Miss Gibson's judgment. Miss
Gibson knew these ladies. She said they were
very fashionable and wealthy people up town."
There was nothing to be said against them
in any way; they were highly respectable;
"but I do not think, my dear," she said,
"that they will be careful of hurting your
feelings. They are not Christian people, and
they will make you feel that they consider
you an inferior. They may make remarks in
your presence which will cut you severely;
but if you are willing to endure this for the
sake of what you may do for the soldiers, I do
not see any objection. They have a large
music-room, and are what is called musical
people; so if you would like to try your
wings with this little flight, I will speak to
Papa, and we will see what can be done
about it." So that dear, good Miss Gibson
made all the arrangements; and when the

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF.

evening came, it found tis both at her door
fhll an hour before the time. She had
laughed at birdie's idea of going in the plain
gr^y delaine dress she wore to church.
"Why," said Bh-die, "I do not go to be
seen ; I go to do good ; and I cannot see why
my voice wouldn't sound as well in a neat
delaine. I go to sing, not to show a dress."
Then Miss Gibson drew her close to her heart
and kissed her, and laughed, but the tears
came to her eyes. *' You simple-hearted little
one," she said, "the people would laugh at
you." " I shouldn't mind that. I go to sing
— ^for nothing else. If I can sing well — if I
can only sing well, I do not care in the least
about my dress. And — and — O dear Miss
Gibson, you know that Jack hasn't the money
to buy me a new dress, and you do so much
for me, that I really cannot let you give me
one. It would be an unnecessary piece of ex-
travagance." Then Miss Gibson laughed at
Birdie's idea of extravagance, and the end of
it all was,lhat when we went in at Dr. Gib-
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224 JACK^S 8T0BY

son's, tliat dear young lady took Birdie up
stairs, and there on the bed, all ready for her,
was a white dress, and a sash, and a new hair
ribbon to match. When Birdie came down
stairs, I thought that never "in my life had I
ever seen any human being look so lovely.
" Oh, Birdie," said I, " you are an angel, and
not a Birdie any more I She shall not walk
to the concert ; I will carry her every step of
the way on my back 1 " Miss Gibson and the
Doctor both laughed very heartily, and the
Doctor said, " Jack, you're an enthusiast I "
''I hope that's nothing bad, sir I" said T.
" Oh, no I It's something good I " said Miss
Gibson, and then we all laughed together.
There stood my Birdie, with her beautiful
brown eyes and long eye-lashes; those eyes
that, in the old times, used to look so sad, but
now were only soft and sweet ; and her soft,
brown hair, held back by the pretty ribbon,
and a necklace of rose- colored coral about her
throat, and her simple white dress I The sash
and the coral and the hair ribbon were all one

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 225

shade ; so that she had no mixing up of colors
about her, as I have seen on vulgar, over-
dressed people ; but it had just the eflfect of
coloring enough to light up her eyes and hair.
I could see that both the Doctor and the dear
young lady were admiring her as much as I
did, and I felt just like going down on my
knees to them both. As it was, I could only
clasp my hands in a foolish \^y I have when
I get excited, and just say, "Oh, Doctor!
Oh, Miss I what might have become of her if
you hadn't cared for her ! " And then the
Doctor blew his nose in his great silk hand-
kerchief, and flourished it before his eyes, and
Miss Gibson leaned down over the child to
arrange her sash. The roll of music which
Miss Gibson herself had selected for Birdie to
sing lay on the table ; and she wanted Birdie
to sing all the pieces over once more, to see if
all was right. I was afraid that when the
time came to appear before the company, she
would be frightened ; but Miss Gibson did not
fear that in the least, for I think she noticed

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226

that Birdie was not a nerTOUs, fussy cMd,
She was always quiet and gentle, and never
seemed to think about herself or how she
was appearing; and on this occasion the
thought that she was going to do good for
the poor soldiers, and to use the one talent
God had given her for Him, in trying to help
the helpless, made her quietly happy. No
other thought about the impression she might
make, or what people would say of her per-
sonally, seemed for a moment to enter her
mind. Presently I saw the carriage come to
the door. They were really going to send us
in the carriage I I said we could walk just a»
well, but no one else except Birdie entertained
that idea for a moment ; so the footman slam-
med the door, and the carriage rolled off with
Birdie and me. I had on my best gray Sun-
day suit of clothes, and my hair — well it is no
use to say my hair was nicely brushed, for it
is so stiff and hard that I just keep it cut off
close tight to my head, so that my head looks
pretty much like a round hair-brush j and I

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AS TOLD BT HIMSELF. 227

know I'm not very handsome, but Dr. Gibson
has told me many times that I have '^ such a
good, honest, straightforward face." It pleases
me wonderfully to hear the Doctor say that.
I know that Birdie thinks me perfect, from
the crown of my head to the sole of my feet,
because she loves me so much, just as I do
her ; for Birdie and I are all the world to each
other.

"When we reached the house we were shown
through the music-room to a small apartment
opening oflF from the rear of it, where 'those
were assembled who were to take part in the
performance. What gay dresses, and what
jewelry were there displayed ! What flowers,
artificial all of them 1 What shining of satin
and rustling of silkl What richly tinted
fans, and odor of sandal-wood I And what
hair ! oh, what quantities of hair these ladies
had! I didn't see how it was that these fine
ladies should have such immense heads of
hair, so much more than we poor people,
unless it might be that doing nothing makes

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the hair grow. And I should have thought
they would have kept on their shawls, for
their dresses were made so low in the neck.
Miss Gibson had said the ladies would be in
" full dress," but I saw that she was mistaken.
My Birdie, among all these gay creatures,
looked like a little canary among a flock of
parrots and macaws. There was one who
seemed to be of great importance ; they called
her Madame. I never saw such red cheeks
and black eyebrows as she had. Then there
was a very tall gentleman, who wore his hair
parted in the middle, and had an eye-glass
swinging from a ribbon round his neck.
When Madame asked if the tenore had come,
he stepped forward and made a very low bow
to her, his eye-glass swinging almost to the
ground ; so I suppose his name was Mr. Tenore,
as also another short, stout, fat gentleman
must have been named Mr. Basso. I stood
half-hidden behind the heavy crimson curtain,
so I could see everything going on without
being noticed myself Nobody paid the least

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 229

attention to Birdie; no one spoke to her,
until the lady whom she had met in the
omnibus — the younger one — who was to play
on the piano, came in. After she had taken
off her white silk cloak, she pointed out the
child to a tall gentleman, who seemed to be
the leader. He put an eye-glass tight up to
his eye and scowled at her, then whispered to
Madame, who frowned at her ; then they both
whispered to a tittering young lady, who
shrugged up her bare shoulders until I feared
she would slide out of her dress. Mr. Basso,
whose eyes were so prominent that they
seemed as if they would burst out of his head,
came close up to Birdie, and asked her some
question which she did not understand; the
lady who was to play on the piano told some
one else to say to him that the child could
not speak French, at which he seemed dis-
gusted, and went off. I could see very
plainly that these fine people did not approve
of having Birdie there, and there grew quite
a dispute as to when she should sing and as

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230 jack's story

to where she should be placed on the pro-
gramme. The taU man with an enormous
moustache, examined her music and shrugged
his shoulders ; it was only when he was told
whose pupil she was, that he looked at her
with any degree of complacency. There was
a celebrated violinist who just then came in.
To him they all spoke respectfully, and he
seemed to fancy Birdie, for he spoke pleas-
antly to her in broken English, when he saw
her. I think she felt encouraged from the
time he came into the room, and in her inno-
cent, simple way she looked up confidingly to
him, as if he would shelter her from the cold-
ness and haughtiness which was beginning to
chill her. He had a long conversation, in
some foreign tongue, with the leader, who
gesticulated very much and talked with his
hands and head as fast as with his tongue.
Then everything seemed arranged, and after
awhile the audience getting impatient, the
concert was opened by a long performance on
two pianos. All the playing and singing was

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AS TOLD BY HDCSBLF. 231

nothing to me, half-hidden there behind the
curtain, nntil the time when it came Birdie's
turn to sing. Now when Madame had beer
escorted on the platform, she had curtesiec.
very low, first to one side, then the other, thei-
to Mr. Tenore, who led her on, and who was tc
sing with her, and then again to the audience
and then to the gentleman who threw her a
bouquet, which Mr. Tenore picked up, and then
to another, and another who threw bouquets
at her, until she looked to me like the bowing
figures of a Chinese mandarin. And when
she sang she twisted and worked her face up
in such a curious way that I wondered the
people did not laugh.

When my Birdie was led on before the
ladies and gentlemen, the violinist said a few
words of encouragement to her, and she looked
up innocently in his face and smiled, and then
she simply curtesied and opened her music ;
but she knew the piece— it was only held in
her hand lest she might get frightened. She
began ; my heart was in my throat— I came

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232 JACK'S STOBY

out entirely from behind the curtain to listen.
O my Birdie I she sang as the robin sings in
the early morning, with clear fresh notes,
when the early dew is upon the flowers and
the flush of the rising sun upon the skyl
She trilled, as they say the skylark trills when
he rises from the earth to his morning flight
among the clouds.

They listened; yes, they listened as they
hadn't done to the gay and painted Madame,
for Birdie touched their hearts, and all who
loved music, as well as all who understood it,
leaned forward to hear her. It was so still,
so still, no rustling silks or fluttering fans <iis-
turbed the silence. And when she curtesied
again and withdrew, then the people clapped
their hands as if they were wild, I could not
imagine why they kept on making so much
noise. At last, as they did not stop, the
great violinist took her by the hand and
brought her before the people again, and then
they clapped more than ever, and it seemed
as if they wouldn't stop, and some one cried

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 233

Encore. I didn't know wLat be meaDt; and
some one told Birdie she would have to sing
her piece over again, but the violinist said no,
it would try the child's voice too much ; so he
selected another piece — a simple song. The
gentleman with the parted hair kept his eye-
glass screwed tight in his eye, and looked at
Birdie as if he didn't recognize the same child
he had scowled at just before. The stout Mr.
Basso, every time he came up to her said,
" Mong jew." I wonder if he thought that
was her name. Then she went on with sing-
ing the piece they had picked out for her, and
when she had finished it, for it was just a sweet,
simple little song, some in the crowd wanted
her to sing it again ; but I could see they were
afraid Madame might be angry, and that some
of the other performers would get displeased,
so Birdie quietly stepped aside until her turn
should come again. After the short inter-
mission, came some instrumental music.
Birdie was told by the leader that she was to
sing after a duet by two gentlemen. When

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234 jack's S'roBY

the time came, the violinist stepped forward
again, leading Birdie by the hand, and she
sang the piece Miss Gibson had selected for
her ; and then what clapping there was again,
and then she had to sing aAother little song.
I noticed now, as I hadn't done before, that
among two or three elderly gentlemen near
the platform, sat Dr. Gibson 1 He hadn't
told ns he was to be there. When Birdie
finished her singing he beckoned to the vio-
linist, who, it seems, was an old friend of his,
(ah, I knew then who had put in a good word
for Birdie), and the violinist, instead of lead-
ing the child back into the room at the rear
of the stage, brought her down among the
company, and Dr. Gibson took her by the
hand and kissed her, and said something com-
forting, and caressed her. I could see now
that she was almost overcome by the exertion
she had made, and she leaned her pretty
brown head upon the old Doctor, as if she
had been his child, and he kept smoothing
down her soft curls and patting her on the

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 235

head all the time he was talking to his friend,
the great violinist. I, behind the curtain,
felt so proud and happy that it did seem as
:f I could scarcely keep quiet, but wanted to
say to every one, " She is mine ; my sister,
my Birdie. And see, the great Dr. Gibson
kisses her, and pets her, and isn't at all ashamed
of her I " Indeed it was a great honor to be so
noticed by the dear Doctor, for every one
loved and honored and respected him. He
stood at the head of his profession, and he had
a great reputation for learning and experience ;
his opinion would command almost any sum
of money, and there wae not one in all that \
crowd of fashionable people but would have
been proud of being known as a great friend
of the old Doctor, and yet there sat my Birdie
close beside him all the rest of the evening,
with his arm around her and her pretty
brown curls falling over his coat-sleeve, and
she looked really like some sweet bird that
had got weary of trilling among the clouds,

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236 jack's stoby

and had come down, tired, to rest itself in its
own home-nest.

When the concert was over, the lady of the
house, with many airs and graces, compli-
mented Birdie on her success, and tapping
the Doctor on the arm with her fan, declared
he had hidden his lo\elj j>7vtege in some cage
purposely to surprise them all. And then she
very patronizingly slid into Birdie's hand a
bill. The child felt surprised ; and whispered
to the Doctor that she did not want it — ^it was
for the soldiers, not herself, she sang. So the
Doctor presented it gracefully back to the
hostess, saying it was Birdie's contribution
to the soldiers.

We all three got into the Doctor's carriage,
and he saw us two safely home, and then
ordered the coachman to drive to his own
house.

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"AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 237

CHAPTER XXIV.

BIRDIE and I thougbt for many months
that we should like to join the church.
I said to her, ^^ Birdie, it seems so mean, when
the Lord has been so good to us, that we do
not publicly acknowledge it— it looks as if we
were ashamed of Him."

" I think, Jack, it would help us to be good
thus to be united with His people ; and more
than all, I think it is His command, for when
He partook of the' last supper. He said, 'This
do in remembrance of me.' " So we talked
over the matter a long time ourselves and
with Aunt Anne, and then we concluded to
speak to Miss Gibson about it. She was very
much affected when we told her, and I have
no doubt that our conversion had been a
subject of prayer. We both felt much at-
tached to the minister, for he used to visit us

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238

very often, and had been very kind to ns, so
that we never was abashed in his presence, as
I have seen some young folks. He talked
very freely to ns, and we to him, on the sub-
ject of religion, and that is the way that people
ought to do. We had neither of us been
baptized, and we agreed that Birdie should
take my mother's name, Mary; for we thought
she must have had some other than the pet
name of Birdie, although we neither of us
knew what it was.

I was now eighteen years old. Birdie and
I were able to support ourselves by this time,
without any aid from Miss Gibson, although
the good Doctor insisted stiU on paying for the
music lessons, as he said he wished himself to
give her her entire musical education. She
had an excellent position in the choir in our
church, and was so well compensated for her
sei'vices that she would not allow me to pay
Aunt Anne for her board, as she was earning
just at this time more than I. In addition to
this, she had several scholars in music, which

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As TOLD BY HIH8BLF. 239

added to her income. Birdie had studied
very diligently, and improved her time and
opportunity, so that She had a better educa-
tion than most young Misses whose parents
pay large sums for their schooling. I also was
getting along nicely — ^I had very good wages,
and as I wasted no money in smoking, chew-
ing, drinking, and gambling, I was able not
only to support myself very comfortably, but
to put money in the bank. My employers
trusted me fuUy, as I was a good workman,
and I tried conscientiously to do my best, and
to serve them, " not with eye-service, as men-
pleasers ; but the servant of Christ, doing the
will of God from the heart." They knew
they were able to rely upon my word ; and so
we worked together, master and man, as
Christians ought to work, each trying to ad-
vance the interests of the other. They did all
they could for me, and I the same for them.
I prayed for them in our family worship, and
I think Mr. Leggett did for me. The other

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240

members of the firm were not Christian men ;
I often wished they were.

Our home with Aunt Anne is not only
very comfortable, but a very pleasant one.
I think it is a Christain duty to make one's
home cheerful and pleasant. Aunt Anne had
no relatives ; we were all in the world whom
she had to love, and she loved us very dearly,
and we looked up to her as we would to a
mother, so that we were mutually the source
of great happiness to each other. The house
in which we live is very small, but then we
have it all to ourselves, and that is much
pleasanter than sharing a large house with
several families. Aunt Anne has a little
money of her own, which her husband had
left her. She hired the house, and we boarded
with her. I wish you could see how pleasant
our little parlor looked. The front windows
faced southward, so that the sunlight made
the room cheerful all through the winter.
The canary hung in his pretty cage, and sang
in the sun all day long. Aunt Anne was

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AS TOLD BT H]1IS£LF. 241

fond of flowers, and people who love flowers
always succeed in making them bloom better
than other folks ; flowers, like children, seem
to know who loves them. Birdie and I made
her a present one Christmas of a very tasteful
rustic flower-stand, with several plants in
bloom, and somehow she always had some-
thing in flower on that stand in the window.
As Aunt Anne was very industrious, and
Birdie very tasty, between them both they
managed to make a great many pretty things
to ornament the room. Every one, even Miss
Gibson, used to notice how prettily our house
was furnished, and what an air of cheei*fulnes8
there was about it. Although there is nothing
costly there, and no heavy, expensive furniture,
it is so thoroughly like a beautiful home that
you could not fail to have the consciousness,
on entering it, that a woman of good taste and
refinement, and she a Ohristian, had had the
arranging of it. Indeed she might well be
excused, if it needed an excuse, for spending
money to make our Ji^ome pleasant and pretty,

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242 jack's stoby

because she did not spend lier spare money in
dresSy as scnne girls do. Miss Gibson taught
her very early in life, that it was vulgar to be
so much dressed. That the false jewelry and
feathers, and all the extravagances of dress
which some silly girls put on, show not only
great want of good taste, but an empty heart
and a shallow mind. Birdie was always very
neatly and tastefully, but very simply dressed.
Her dress never attracted attention j unless by
its neatness and propriety, and that is the
rule Miss Gibson said every young girl should
observe, particularly one thrown so much be-
fore the public as Birdie necessarily would be.
Miss Gibson told Birdie, when she first sang in
the choir, to be particularly neat and simple in
her dress, as our choir faced the whole congre-
gation, and she did not like to see her pet at
any time in flashy colors, particularly so now,
as it gave a bold look to even a modest gii4
to flash her sham-jewelry and flaunt staring
colors in the face of the people in God's house.
She said the term " feathered choir " used to

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 243

aUude to the birds, but she thought it might
equally be applied to some of our city choirs.
Birdie mad% use of her talent for good ; she
felt that she had no right to hide it in a nap-
kin, or bury it in the earth ; she sajig when-
ever and wherever she could, and thus earned
a great deal of money for our various charities
whenever she was called upon to do so. She
often said that she had consecrated her voice to
the Lord ; she spoke very sweetly yet humbly
about her talent, for she always spoke and
thought of it as some gift which our Lord had
given her, and for which she must at last
give back an account to Him. "I feel very
thankful to Him for it," she would say ; " it
has given me so much pleasure, and given me
the opportunity of affording pleasure to
others."

Oh, my dear Birdie I it seems as if I can
-never tire of talking of her ; and although her
Xiame is no longer Birdie, but according to
our baptismal names she is Mary and I am
John, yet she will to me never be anything

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ai4 jack's btoey

else than my own dear Birdie. If all. girls
were as lovely and gentle and sensible as
she, brothers could not help loving them as I
do my sister. I once heard a young woman
say that she wished she had lived in the mil-
lennium. I said to her, that the right way to
bring the millennium would be for each one to
be themselves just as good as they could be ;
for love brings love, and gentleness brings
gentleness, and kindness brings kindness, and
so on tlirough all the Christian virtues.

The day before we partook of the commu-
nion, Birdie and I made Miss Gibson a pre-
sent from our own earnings. We bought a
handsome Bible, and had her name put on it,
and inside Birdie wrote, in a neat hand, " Be
not weary in well-doing." Aunt Anne, who
carried it to her while I was at work and
Birdie giving music lessons, said Miss Gibson
was so delighted with it, she shed tears, and
that she said, " Oh, how good the Lord has
been to me ! "

I think I may take these words of Miss

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELP. . 245

Gibson as the moral of my story. It is be-
cause to me, also, the Lord has been so good,
that I T^ant to tell other lads about it, that
they may not be discouraged, but may be
willing to try and do right.

I hope you will excuse me for talking so
much about myself I do not tell you these
things because I think I have done so well
and am so good; very far from it. When,
long ago, I first worked in the Iron Works,
there was a lad a little older than I who
worked beside me in the shop. He was a
great help to me, because he had gone through
with exactly what I was then going through,
and he had learned what I was learning.
Now I want to be, to boys younger than
myself, just what that boy was to me. I tell
them the story of my life, because there's
many a lad wanting to learn just what I •
have learned, and who is now going through
the very experience which I have gone
through. Telling them of these things may
help tliem. I have had experience in both

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248

ways of life. I have lied and cheated, used
bad language, and lived fighting and stealing
in the streets. I have, thank God, tried the
other way also. I have tried to live honestly,
soberiy, industriously, giving my heart to the
Lord, and trying truly to serve Him. Boys,
I give my experience, that, in the first, I
never found happiness — ^in the last I did ; and
I advise you to try godliness, as being profit-
able for the life that now is, and for that
which is to come.

There is another moral to my story, if
young ladies will not think me forward in
giving it. I wish more of their number would
be like Miss Gibson. When I see them given
up to all sorts of follies and gayety — to dress
and dissipation on the one hand, and, on the
jther, when I see so many children in alley-
ways and tenement-houses, I think to myself,
how can they meet those children at the bar
of God!

Even very good Christians might learn
something from Miss Gibson, for they do not

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AS TOLD BY HIMSELF. 247

all have her perseverance in well-doing. They
are willing to help all the good little children
they come across ; but good children brought
up in vice and poverty are very rare. When
these little ones are profane and ill-tempered
and vicious, they are hopeless of them, and
let them go. What might have been the fate
of Birdie and me had Miss Gibson been dis-
couraged about us, for I have not had time to
tell you the half of the trouble we gave her I

Christian eflfort is not always rewarded in
the way Miss Gibson was rewarded for her
care of Birdie — that I well know. The Mas-
ter requires faithful labor, without the promise
of success in this way. Miss Gibson labored
► as diligently for Ann MoUoy as she did for
Bu'die; yet Ann ended her life, before she
was sixteen, a miserable drunkard. I think
the Lord will bless Miss Gibson for her labors
in Ann's behalf just as much as in Birdie's.
In both cases, she did all she could. In the
one her efforts were crowned with success ; in
the other she failed.

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248 JAOK^S STOBT

There is one of the Psalms of David wLich
has always heen a favorite with Birdie and
me; one which we have both learned. It
seems as if David must have written it pur-
posely for us ; but that is one of the peculiari-
ties of the Bible. All Christians feel as if cer-
tain portions suit them so well, that they must
have been made for them expressly. I do not
think that I can close in any way that would
express my feelings better than by using
David's own words :

^'I will bless the Lord at all times: his
praise shall continually be in my mouth.

" My soul shall make her boast in the Lord :
the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.

" This poor man cried, and the Jj&rd heard ,
him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

" O taste and see that the Lord is good :
blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

" The young lions do lack and suffer hun-
ger: but they that seek the Lord shall not
want any good thing.

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AS TOI.D BY HIMSKLF. 249

" Come, ye children, hearken unto me : I
will teach j'ou the fear of the Lord.

" Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips
from speaking guile.

"Depart from evil, and do good: seek
peace, and pursue it.

" The Lord redeemeth the soul of his ser-
vants : and none of them that trust in him
diall be desolate."

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